Your curriculum vitae is a snapshot of you

AORN Journal, Feb, 1999 by Sheila O'Connor

A curriculum vitae (CV) provides a snapshot of a person without showing a face. A CV is an extensive description of your professional and educational accomplishments, or an outline of your professional activities.(1) The individual represented by the curriculum vitae has a name, titles, current and previous jobs, and associated responsibilities that replaces physical features we usually see first in an individual. A well-written CV can be used in many circumstances to replace a snapshot and still give the reader a good description of you.

VALUE FOR AWARDS SELECTION

The AORN Awards Committee met in early November to review the awards packets. Committee members select recipients for eight AORN awards. The CV is an instrumental part of the packet because it represents the individual being nominated. As committee members do not always have an opportunity to individually meet many of the people nominated for an award, the packet is sometimes the only representation of the candidate. During the review of awards packets, the committee members look for differing characteristics among the candidates. The Awards Committee uses the CV to clarify how one's qualifications make him or her the best choice as recipient of the award. To help future candidates present themselves in the best light possible, the Awards Committee thought it would be helpful to provide information about creating a useful and accurate CV for awards packet reviewers.

SELLING YOURSELF

A CV personalizes an awards candidate's campaign. The campaign mission to sell yourself and to communicate with others about who you are. A CV should highlight qualifications by describing educational background and by providing examples of perioperative, AORN, community, or other activities. A CV includes your name, address, education, and professional experiences. It is not necessary to include information such as marital status, number of children, height, weight, or age. Examples of detailed content include

* educational background;

* professional experiences;

* professional organization memberships;

* projects in professional, leadership, community, or other activities;

* certifications;

* presentations;

* articles published;

* professional awards;

* accomplishments; and

* references(Table 1).

Table 1 SAMPLE CURRICULUM VITAE(1)

                       Nancy G. Nurse RN, MSN, CNOR

               Home:                      Work:
               33 E Garden St             Institution Name
               Anytown, Stole 12345       88 Main Street
               (123) 456-7890             Anytown, State 12345
                                          (987) 654-3210

                         Education
University                  BSN              Graduation Date
City, State

University                  MSN              Graduation Date
Oily, State

                  Professional experience

Town University   Clinical instructor of     1995-present
City, State       junior nursing students
                  (perioperative rotation)

Medical Center    OR staff development       1990-1995
City, State       OR otorhinolaryngology
                   service team leader       1988-1990
                  OR staff nurse             1983-1988

                              Publications

1995              Article, Name of article, Name of journal,
                  (date), volume number, page numbers
1998-present      Book review, Name of book, name of Journal,
                  (date), volume number, page numbers

                      Professional organization memberships

1985-present      American Nurses Association; State Nurses
                  Association
1990-1994         District # of State Nurses Association
                  legislative committee
1985-present      Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc
1985-present      AORN of chapter name, treasurer (1994-1996),
                  board of directors (1992-1994),
                  delegate to AORN Congress (1992-1998)
1994-present      Sigma Theta Tau

                          Professional presentations

1995              Research poster, Title of poster presentation
                  at the Xth AORN Congress in City, State
1996              Paper, Title of presentation to AORN of Chapter
                  Name in City, State
1997              Seminar, Title of presentation, State Council
                  of State annual meeting in City, State
1998              Seminar, Title of presentation, Specialty
                  Assembly meeting in City, State

                              National awards

1992-1993         Awarded a scholarship from the Association of
                  Operating Room Nurses

                     Activities in community organizations

1990-1995         Member and volunteer of the American Heart
                  Association
1990-present      Community CPR, Dates
1997-1998         Community lectures, Title or topic of lecture
                  to residents of Anytown Retirement
                  Village, City, State, Dates

                      Accomplishments

Education

* Developed an orientation program that was offered five times
from 1994-] 995 for 32 participants employed in the department
of surgical services.

* Offered ar coordinated speaker for 182 weekly education
offerings  for personnel in professional and assistive roles.

Leadership

* Led several teams to convert policies and procedures related
to direct intraoperative care into protocols and clinical practice
guidelines. Included physician leaders and perioperative team
members in guideline development.

* Served on hospital infectious disease committee and quality
improvement teams (1994-1995) as the perioperative representative.
Coordinated communication of changes in infection control policies
within surgical services department. Monthly reported surgical
services QI data.

Community involvement

* Submitted proposal for perioperative patient teaching to be
included in physician education programs offered by the hospital.
Following acceptance of the proposal, implemented information
sharing and education opportunities one time per week by
perioperative nurses.

Professional involvement

* Completed second of a two-year term on the board of directors
as treasurer for the local AORN chapter. Served as the fund-raising
chairman, resulting in $16,000 average annual income as a result
of fund-raising activities.