13 CNA Resume Examples for 2025

Certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, need strong resumes to get good jobs. This article will show detailed resume examples for CNAs. It will give you tips on what to include and how to format your resume. Learn how to highlight your skills, certifications, and experience. With this guide, your resume will stand out to hiring managers.

  Compiled and approved by Jason Lewis
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in the best resumes for CNAs...

  • Show Impact With Numbers: The best resumes show impact using numbers. Relevant metrics include patient satisfaction scores, reduced patient wait times, medication accuracy rates, and number of patients assisted daily.

  • Include Relevant Skills: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some useful ones are vital signs monitoring, patient hygiene care, electronic health records, wound dressing, and basic life support. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Highlight Certifications: Certifications matter. Mention any certifications like CNA license or BLS certification. These show you meet required standards.

Get instant feedback on your resume

Want to know how your certified nursing assistant resume stands out? Our resume scoring tool gives you a clear picture of your application's strengths and areas for improvement. It evaluates your resume based on key criteria that healthcare recruiters look for.

Upload your resume now for an unbiased assessment. You'll get a score and specific feedback to help you create a strong application that gets noticed in the competitive healthcare job market.

...
Drop your resume here or choose a file.
English resumes in PDF or DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
   100% privacyWe're committed to your privacy. Your resume will be scanned securely to give you confidential feedback instantly. Your resume is completely private to you and can be deleted at any time.

Where to list your education

As a certified nursing assistant, your education is key. If you are new to the field or have recently finished your training, show this first on your resume. Mention your certification and any clinical hours you completed. This tells employers that you are ready and have the needed skills.

If you have been working already, list your work experience before your education. Your hands-on care is what employers look to see first. Yet, always include your certification details as it is a must-have in healthcare jobs.

Showcase soft skills clearly

Soft skills are as important as technical skills for a certified nursing assistant. On your resume, clearly say how you work well with others and have good communication. Examples like supporting patients and their families or working with a healthcare team are strong to include.

Also, mention any awards or recognition you received for your care. This shows employers that you are dedicated and can do the job well.

Keep your resume brief

A good resume for a certified nursing assistant job is one page long. This shows what you can do in a clear way. Focus on recent, relevant work and your skills. If you have a lot of experience, only include the last 10 years of work. Make sure your contact information and key qualifications stand out.

If you struggle with the length, edit your content. Remove older or less relevant information. Use a simple, clean layout to make more space.

Detail your clinical experience

When crafting your resume as a certified nursing assistant, it is essential to include specifics about your clinical experience. It shows you have hands-on knowledge and are ready to work in a healthcare setting.

  • List the types of healthcare facilities where you have trained or worked – hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies.
  • Include details such as the departments or units (e.g., geriatrics, pediatrics) and duties you performed or observed, emphasizing any hands-on patient care.

Also, be specific about any medical machinery you are proficient with. Handling medical equipment is a vital part of the role, and knowing how to operate certain devices can give you an edge.

  • Include examples such as taking EKGs, assisting with medical technology during patient monitoring, or dispensing medications under supervision.
  • Specify if you have experience with electronic health records (EHR) software, which is critical for patient documentation and is highly valued in modern healthcare settings.

Understand ats requirements

When you apply for a certified nursing assistant (CNA) position, your resume will often go through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before it reaches a hiring manager. To make sure your resume gets through, follow these tips:

  • Use keywords from the CNA job description. Include terms like 'patient care,' 'vital signs,' and 'ADLs' (activities of daily living).
  • Avoid complex formatting. Stick to simple fonts and standard headings like 'Experience' and 'Education.'

By doing this, you increase your chances of getting noticed.

Highlight patient care skills

In the healthcare field, your ability to care for patients is very important. On your resume, talk about your experience with patient care. Mention tasks like taking vital signs or helping with daily needs. These show you can do the job well.

Also, list any special skills such as CPR certification or experience with medical software. This extra knowledge is valuable for a caregiver role and sets you apart from others.

Avoid vague job descriptions

When you apply for a job as a certified nursing assistant, you need to show the skills that you have. Many times, people make the list too general. For example, they may say they have 'good patient care skills' without giving more detail. You need to tell exactly what you did, like taking vital signs or helping patients walk. This is better because it shows exactly what you know how to do.

Another mistake is not saying how long you worked at each job. It's important to list the months and years you were at each place. This helps the person reading your resume see how much experience you have.

Customize your CNA resume

To get the job, show how your skills fit the role of a certified nursing assistant. Weave your experience into your resume to match the job description. Highlight your best work that shows you can do the job well. This helps employers see your value to their team.

  • Point out your hands-on skills in patient care. Use phrases like Patient vital signs monitoring or Post-operative care proficiency.
  • Feature any specialized training: mention if you have experience with Alzheimer's or dementia care or pediatric nursing.
  • Show your range: if you've worked in different healthcare settings, list them to show you can adapt to various environments.

Showcase achievements, not tasks

As a hiring manager, I always look for what you have accomplished rather than the tasks you were assigned. Instead of listing everyday responsibilities, your resume should highlight the impacts you've had. Remember, it's your success stories that catch a recruiter's eye, not the routine job descriptions.

Here's how you can transform a traditional responsibility into an achievement:

  • Before: 'Provided care to patients.'
  • After: 'Enhanced patient comfort by effectively managing bedside care, reducing complaints by 30%'.
  • Before: 'Assisted with daily living activities.'
  • After: 'Improved patient independence by supporting daily living activities, which increased patient satisfaction scores by 25%'.

Use dynamic verbs for impact

When crafting your resume as a nursing assistant, selecting the right verbs can make a strong impact on hiring managers. You want to paint a picture of your hands-on experience and proactive approach to patient care. Action verbs carry weight and show your ability to take charge in different situations.

Remember, the verbs you choose should reflect the responsibilities and tasks you've handled. Think about the daily duties you perform and how you can describe them with energy and clarity. Here's a list of verbs that can help your resume stand out:

  • To demonstrate your skills in patient handling, use verbs like assisted, supported, transported, lifted, and positioned.
  • Show your ability to help with daily living activities using fed, bathed, dressed, groomed, and comforted.
  • Highlight your attentiveness to patient health with monitored, recorded, measured, reported, and observed.
  • To reflect your communication skills, incorporate communicated, coordinated, instructed, updated, and explained.
  • Emphasize your teamwork by using collaborated, contributed, partnered, aided, and engaged.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Help, Perform, Establish, Presented, Maintain.

Highlighting leadership growth

When you're crafting your resume as a certified nursing assistant, showing any leadership roles or promotions you've had is crucial. Even if you think you haven't held a formal leadership position, consider times when you took charge or were recognized for your work.

  • Supervised a team of new CNAs during orientation and training
  • Selected as a shift leader due to strong performance and reliability

Think about the moments you've been entrusted with additional responsibilities or when you've guided peers. Remember to include any awards or recognitions that reflect your leadership skills. These details help you stand out and demonstrate that you have the potential to grow within an organization.

Highlighting key CNA skills

As a certified nursing assistant, your resume should show the specific skills that make you a strong candidate for the job. Here's how to list your technical abilities:

  • Basic life support (BLS)
  • Patient care
  • Vital signs measurement
  • Medical terminology
  • Infection control
  • Charting and documentation
  • Emergency response
  • Equipment operation
  • Medication administration
  • Patient bathing and grooming

You don't need to list all these skills, just the ones that match your experience and the job you want. Place them in a dedicated 'Skills' section for easy reading. Remember, your resume might be scanned by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), so including these terms helps you pass that first automated review.

For CNAs looking to specialize, focus on the skills for your desired area. If you want to work in geriatrics, emphasize your experience with age-specific care and mobility assistance. If you're targeting a hospital setting, highlight your ability to manage multiple patients and your experience with acute care. Always tailor your skills to the job description.

Need more resume templates?

Quick links

Samples


Insights