14 Nursing Assistant Resume Examples for 2025

Creating a strong resume as a nursing assistant is essential to landing a good job in healthcare. This article gives examples of effective resumes and offers strategic advice. Learn how to highlight clinical skills, patient care experience, and certification details. We will also discuss the proper format and language that appeal to employers. Make your resume work for you.

  Compiled and approved by Marie-Caroline Pereira
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

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

  • Show Impact With Numbers: Good resumes use numbers to show impact, like reducing patient wait times by 20%, handling 15 patients per shift, cutting error rates by 30%, and administering medications to 25 patients daily.

  • Include The Right Skills: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned in the job description. Some popular ones are vital sign monitoring, patient hygiene, charting, phlebotomy, infection control. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Highlight Certifications: It's key to list any licenses or certificates. Sample phrases: Certified Nursing Assistant, CPR certified, First Aid trained.

Get an unbiased resume assessment

Want to know how your nursing assistant resume stacks up? Our AI-powered tool simulates a hiring manager's review, giving you a clear picture of your resume's strengths and areas for improvement. It checks for key criteria that recruiters in the healthcare sector look for.

Upload your resume now for a free, instant assessment. You'll get a score and specific feedback to help you create a resume that stands out in the competitive nursing field. This unbiased evaluation can be the first step towards landing your next role in patient care.

...
Clear
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 place your education

As a nursing assistant, your education is critical to your role. If you are new to the workforce or have recently finished your nursing studies, you should list your education at the top of your resume. This will help hiring managers see your qualifications right away. Make sure to include any certifications such as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or any relevant training you've received.

If you have been working as a nursing assistant or in a related field and have built up experience, your education should follow your professional experience on your resume. In these cases, your hands-on experience can say more about your skills than your formal education. Always keep the content focused and relevant, which in your case, means highlighting any specialties or areas of healthcare you are trained in.

Detail infection control expertise

As a nursing assistant, it's important that your resume shows you understand and practice effective infection control measures. Make sure to highlight any training or experience you have in preventing the spread of infections. You could include any certifications you've earned, like in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) or mention specific infection control protocols you've adhered to in previous roles, such as proper hand hygiene or using personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly.

Your ability to keep patients and colleagues safe by minimizing infection risks is a vital aspect of your role. If you've contributed to policy updates or educated others on best practices, these are excellent examples of your commitment to this critical area. This not only demonstrates your knowledge and skills but also shows your dedication to patient and coworker wellness.

Ideal resume length

When you're applying for a position as a nursing assistant, keep your resume to one page. This is especially true if you have less than 10 years of experience. Your resume needs to show that you can communicate your background effectively and efficiently. If you have more experience that is relevant and important, two pages are acceptable.

Focus on including recent and relevant experiences that highlight your skills in patient care and teamwork. Make sure important details like certifications and special skills are easy to find. If you have trouble fitting your information on one page, consider editing less critical items or choose a layout that uses space wisely. Remember, readability is important, so avoid tiny fonts or margins just to cram more in. It's better to present clear, concise information.

Highlight certifications

Nursing assistants should list any certifications, such as CPR or First Aid, prominently. These are crucial qualifications that healthcare employers look for.

Experience with electronic medical records (EMR) is also valuable. Mention any software platforms you are proficient in, as this skill is highly regarded in the industry.

Beat the resume scanner

When you apply for a job as a nursing assistant, your resume might first be read by a computer program called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). To help you get past the ATS and into the hands of a hiring manager, follow these tips:

  • Use keywords from the job posting, like 'patient care' or 'medical terminology.' This matches your resume with what the job is looking for.
  • Include specific certifications such as 'CPR certified' or 'Certified Nursing Assistant' as these are often searched for by the ATS.

Make sure your resume is clear and simple. Use a standard font and format. Complex designs can confuse the ATS. Remember, a resume that the computer can read easily is one step closer to getting you an interview.

Show patient care skills

Include specific examples of your patient care skills, such as assisting with daily activities or monitoring vital signs. These details show your hands-on experience.

References from previous roles in healthcare can also strengthen your resume. Mention them briefly and note they are available upon request to prove your competency in a clinical setting.

Avoiding vague descriptions

As a hiring manager, I often see nursing assistants list duties on their resumes without saying how well they did them. You need to show what made you good at your job. Instead of just 'helped patients,' say 'assisted 20+ patients daily with high attention to their comfort and needs.' This shows how you help and how much work you can handle.

Another mistake is not being clear about your certifications. In healthcare, the right training is crucial. You have to say if you're a 'certified nursing assistant' or if you've done any special training like CPR or wound care. List these clearly. It makes a big difference and shows you meet essential job requirements.

Personalize your professional skills

To stand out, tailor your resume to show you're a good match for a nursing assistant role. Read the job posting carefully and make your experience look relevant. Show how your skills will help in daily nursing tasks.

  • Highlight patient care activities you've done, like taking vital signs or assisting with mobility.
  • Emphasize soft skills such as empathy and strong communication, critical in health care settings.
  • If you have certifications, like a CPR certification, mention them to show you are prepared for emergencies.

Show achievements, not duties

You need to show what you've achieved, not just what you did. When you're a nursing assistant, think about how you made a difference. Let's turn common tasks into accomplishments that catch an employer's eye.

Before: Responsible for taking patient vital signs
After: Enhanced patient care by accurately monitoring and recording vital signs of 20+ patients daily, leading to a 15% decrease in critical incidents over 6 months.

Before: Assisted with daily living activities for patients
After: Improved patient satisfaction through compassionate assistance with daily living activities, contributing to a 10% increase in positive patient feedback surveys.

Choose strong action verbs

When you apply for a job as a nursing assistant, the verbs you use on your resume can make a big difference. These words can show your abilities and experiences in a clear and effective way. Think about how you have helped patients and worked with healthcare teams in the past. Use verbs that give a true picture of your work.

It's important to use verbs that match the job you want. For a nursing assistant, these verbs should show care, skill, and teamwork. Here are some good words to use:

  • To show your ability to provide care, use aided, comforted, assisted, supported, attended.
  • When talking about teamwork, use verbs like collaborated, communicated, coordinated, partnered, engaged.
  • To describe your technical skills, include verbs such as administered, monitored, recorded, operated, measured.
  • If you have been in charge of tasks, use words like managed, directed, oversaw, organized, delegated.
  • To show your commitment to learning and growth, verbs like participated, learned, completed, enrolled, attended are good choices.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Serve, Enhance, Seeking, Updated, Wrote.

Showcase leadership growth

As a nursing assistant, showing your growth in leadership roles can be a key factor in landing your next job. You might have more experience leading than you think. Here are ways you can show this growth on your resume:

  • Detail any times you trained new staff or led a team. For example, 'Trained 4 new hires in proper patient care protocols, leading to a 20% increase in department efficiency.'
  • Highlight instances where you took charge in a healthcare setting, such as 'Led a patient care team during night shifts, ensuring all patients received timely medication and care.'

Even if you have not had a formal title change, these examples show that you have taken on more responsibility and have leadership experience. Remember to keep it clear and simple, focusing on how your leadership improved patient care or team performance.

Key skills for nursing aides

When you're putting together your resume, remember that certain skills are crucial for nursing assistants. Here's a list of skills you may want to include if they match your experience.

  • Basic patient care
  • Medical terminology
  • CPR certification
  • First aid
  • Vital signs monitoring
  • Electronic health records (EHR)
  • Infection control
  • Patient bathing and grooming
  • Feeding assistance
  • Mobility aid

You don't need to include all these skills. Pick the ones that best show your expertise. Place them in a dedicated 'Skills' section on your resume. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which employers use to scan resumes. The ATS looks for specific keywords related to the job, so including relevant skills is important.

Remember to mention any certifications, like CPR or first aid, which are often required. Also, if you have experience with EHR software, make sure to note it. These details can set you apart from others.

Show impact with numbers

Using numbers on your resume can show how you have made a clear impact in your past roles. When you apply for a job as a nursing assistant, think about the tasks you do every day and how you can measure them. For example, how many patients do you help? Or how much time do you save with efficient practices?

Here are some ideas for metrics you can use:

  • Number of patients cared for daily: 15 patients per shift
  • Time saved by organizing supplies: 30 minutes daily
  • Reduction in wait times due to efficient triage: 20% faster
  • Accuracy in patient record keeping: 98% error-free
  • Number of successful patient transfers: 25 per week
  • Consistent patient satisfaction scores: above 90%
  • Infection rates in your care area: reduced by 10%
  • Attendance record: 99% present

Even if you are not sure about the exact numbers, think about your daily work and estimate. For example, if you know you help with meal times, estimate how many meals you deliver each shift. Always be honest and do your best to give true numbers. Employers look for evidence of your good work. Numbers help them see it quickly.

Need more resume templates?

Quick links

Samples


Insights