This can be hard to tell. Nurse job postings list lots of information with “preferred” or “required” qualifications. How do you know if you have what they want??

Preferred vs. Required Qualifications

“Preferred Qualifications” are what the employer HOPES to get from an applicant. This is a non-essential requirement meaning if you do not fulfill these requirements, you can still apply for the job. 

“Required Qualifications” are the HARD STOP requirements for a job. You must have these to apply. If you do not have them, do not apply through the online application because the Human Resources software will kick your application out of consideration. #wastedtime

Example Job Posting: 

RN 1 Job @ St. Someone’s Hospital 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 1 year of acute care experience
• Completion of BSN Program within 3 years of hire date 

Required Qualifications: 

• Active State RN License
• ABCD Certification 
• XYZ Training 

In this posting: 

If you did not have 1 year of acute care experience or a completed BSN, you could still apply to this job and be considered. 

If you did not have an “Active State RN License” + the ABCD Certification + XYZ Training, you could NOT be considered for this position if you applied. 

For more information, you can contact Sarah, The New Thing Nurse.

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