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Certified Nursing Assistant Resume (Examples & Tips)
You'll learn:
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) is someone who assists a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
A certified nurse assistant may serve seniors, those with disabilities, or others, depending on the working location and the developed skills.
The best resume for a CNA position allows the resume reviewers to see the candidate’s exceptional compassions and proficiency in medical terminology.
It is especially difficult to create a standout CNA resume for a hospital due to its competitiveness, but don’t get anxious. This CNA resume article has all you need to take off your job searching journey.
👍 Reminder:
Before proceeding, check out the strategies in the complete resume building guide.
How to make a certified nurse assistant resume?
Step 1: Understand the differences between a CNA CV and a CNA resume.
We often use cv and resume interchangeably, however, they are slightly different. In thinking to use CV or resume, reference to the following demonstrated differences between a CNA CV and a CNA resume.
CV:
- Normally used in scientific, academia, or medical fields.
- Consisting list of the cumulative professional experiences, such as work and publications.
- Less need for a delicate layout.
- Mostly 2+ pages.
Resume:
- Applicable to general corporate roles.
- Should add/delete contents based on the position applied to.
- Strongly recommend having a delicate layout.
- Maximum 2 pages.
✍🏻 Note:
Some countries prefer CVs while other countries prefer resumes for the same position. Make sure your choice of CNA CV or CNA resume corresponds to country preferences.
Step 2: Choose the right CNA resume format.
Resume format: Different resume format emphasizes on different categories. Job seekers choose the one that grants the most advantage based on their strengths and weaknesses.
If you are writing a nursing assistant resume with no experience, we suggest you reference a certified nursing assistant resume sample that focuses more on skills.
Further reading: 3 types of professional resume format
Resume layout: Careful not to spend all your time on the content.
The layout of the resume is also important. A good layout is one that readers describe as neat and clear. Resume layout concerns margin, spacing, font type, font size, and color.
🏷️ Tip:
Check out some CNA resume examples to learn what layout works best for you. Put some effort into optimizing those aspects of your CNA resume.
Step 3: Look up certified nurse assistant resume samples & templates.
Have a better idea of what to include in your own certified nurse assistant resume from a CNA resume sample. A good certified nursing assistant resume sample is well organized. A CNA resume template is a framework that is waiting for information to be filled in. Different CNA resume templates use different ways to organize parts of the resume.
Step 4: Tailor your CNA resume for the job position.
You can tell that the CNA resume examples with experience are very different from those of those writing nursing assistant resume with no experience. Understand your situation and utilize it to your advantage.
Step 5: Craft a CNA cover letter.
An outstanding nursing assistant cover letter creates a great first impression for the hospitals and families. Your CNA cover letter should be concise, polite, enthusiastic, and sincere.
✔️ Read our cover letter tutorial to ace this section.
Step 6: Proofread.
We recommend you finish your nursing assistant resume a few days before the application deadline to allow yourself the opportunity to review it multiple times before submission.
Watch out for bad grammar, incorrect spelling, and confusing text structures.
🙅Reminder:
As one of the top demanding skills from a CNA is attentiveness, a tiny mistake on your nurse aide resume may jeopardize your chance of getting a job.
What to put on a CNA resume?
1. Profile on a CNA Resume
The most basic section of a nursing assistant resume is the profile.
While straightforward, careful for making avoidable mistakes and make sure you read through the ultimate guide for writing personal information.
✔️ Do include:
- Your official name (suggest to place on top of your nurse aide resume.)
- Current location (If you are writing a CNA resume for a hospital, this information allows the institutions to understand your availability.)
- Contact information: phone number and email.
✍🏻 Optional:
- A photo of yourself (Some CNA resume template may suggest including this, but take note that this is not always required.)
- Other professional social media links (While your link may have detailed certified nursing assistant skills for resume readers, the information most likely overlaps with what your CNA resume has, so please give a second thought for including this.)
❌ Do not include:
- Marital status/Age/Sexual orientation/Birthday (exclude details about private life)
- Hobbies/Motto (unnecessary information)
- Religious preference/Nationality (prevent exposing personal identity)
- Social security number (requested after being accepted)
2. Headline for a CNA Resume
The one-line-statement that right away presents to the hospitals or the families of your expertise and qualification, the spotlight of your certified nursing assistant resume. Give a professional impression with a well-crafted CNA resume headline.
CNA Resume Headline Example:
- Compassionate Certified Nursing Assistant Regarded as Life Mentors to 100+ Patients
- Patient Caregiver Experienced in Caring for Seniors with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Diseases
📝 Note:
Be concise and use vivid descriptions, and read the guide to writing a powerful resume headline.
3. CNA Resume Summary
A CNA resume summary shares the same core of a CNA resume headline. However, the CNA professional resume summary is longer (2-3 sentences) and requires only realistic descriptions. Use numbers to strengthen the credibility of your experience and use your current title as your identity.
Sample structure: [who are you now]+[what have you done]+[your proudest accomplishments.]
CNA Resume Summary Examples:
- Professional who assisted living facilities and established meaningful relationships with 30+ patients. Founded the Vulnerable Conversation group within the community and drastically improved all patients’ lives by supporting them with positivity.
- Patient sitter who conducted over 1000+ needle injections and specialized in supporting stroke patients. Successfully educated 100+ patients in hygiene protocols to control widespread flu.
✍🏻 Get all you need to know for writing a good resume summary.
4. CNA Resume Objective
The career objective for a nursing assistant is a simple statement of you sharing how being a CNA matters to your career trajectory. As your nursing assistant resume includes mostly objective metrics and cold data, the resume objective is where you share your passion for the job.
👍 Reminder:
Before working on your certified nursing assistant resume objective, check out how to write a good career objective.
CNA Resume Objective Examples:
- As a graduate student with a nursing degree, I am eager to apply theoretical learnings to real-life scenarios.
- Passionate about easing patients’ lives via my sufficient nursing experience as establishing a professional career in the medical field.
If you are fresh to the medical field, you might panic about being unable to craft a phenomenal entry-level CNA resume objective, compared to those with a comprehensive CNA experience resume section. Don’t worry, emphasize your passion and be sincere, then you will be as competitive.
5. CNA Resume Skills Section
Use this portion of your nurse aide resume to outline what you can do. The CNA skills to put on a resume can be very similar among the applicants. Therefore, to make your resume competitive, you should not only mention all the common certified nursing assistant skills for resumes but also include some advanced unique abilities.
💡Tip:
Understand how to most effectively craft the skills on your resume that boosts your admitted chance.
CNA Resume Skills Examples:
- Experienced in using medical equipment
- Observant in patients’ needs
- Able to work on health information software
6. CNA Experience Resume Section
Include your title, working site, and duration, plus achievements in the CNA experience resume section. Hospitals and families will take this part of your nurse aide resume seriously.
Remember to merge the CNA duties resume elements to this section. You want the nursing assistant resume readers to see that your experience is parallel to the duties you will bear as a CNA.
CNA Experience Resume Examples:
Certified nursing assistant | Taipei Medical University Hospital | Jun 2018- Present
- Responsible for taking vital signs
- Administered medication
- Sustained the comfortableness of patients
Further reading: How to write the work experience section on a resume
7. Education on a CNA Resume
In this section, outline the university or school that you have gone to and briefly summarize your performance. Even if you write a nursing assistant resume with no experience, you should acquire a medical-related degree. If not so, you should get the CNA certification on a resume to persuade institutions of being qualified.
Education on a CNA Resume Example:
Ohio Medical Career College | Practical Nursing Program degree
- Year of Graduation: 2018
- GPA: 3.4/4.1
Further reading: The guide to the education section on a resume
8. CNA Qualifications
As every country has different criteria for becoming a validated CNA, you should double-check the specific requirements before including CNA certification on a resume.
The following presents some countries’ instructions on becoming a CNA:
- USA
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification: Almost all states require it to work.
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification: Management of early signs of strokes and bradycardia, familiar with data signaling heart problems.
- Certifications for Pediatrics: Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization (PEARS) certification.
- India
- Completed the 105 hours state-approved Nurse Aide Training Program.
- Passed the written and skills competency evaluation from the Indiana Department of Health.
- Japan (having the Certified nurse administrator (CNA) system)
- Passed a relevant examination from the Japanese Nursing Association.
- Completed a medical master’s program.
- Renew certification every five years.
Tips for writing the best CNA resume
In addition to the following, we provide you the five effective resume tips.
#Tip 1: Customize the resume for the job.
Customization saves time for hospitals or families. Verify by including the right CNA certification on a resume depending on the country you are applying for jobs.
#Tip 2: Choose effective words.
Use keywords that link to the CNA job description for your resume.
#Tip 3: Quantify results on your CNA resume.
Numbers speak louder than words. Observe those CNA resume examples with experience, and you may notice the resume using numbers as proof for achievements is more powerful.
However, for those writing nursing assistant resume with no experience, you should use more powerful descriptions in the entry-level CNA resume to tip odds in your favor.
#Tip 4: Choose an ATS-friendly resume format.
Those writing a CNA resume for a hospital will want to take this advice as hospitals will most likely depend on software to filter applications.
#Tip 5: Use resume action verbs in your CNA resume.
Action gives an affirmative sense. The more affirmative you sound, the more trustworthy you will sound.
✍🏻 Extra tips for writing a nursing assistant resume with no experience:
- The first step is to recognize that this is normal. Everyone has had a first time applying for jobs, and you are in no way less-advantaged because of this. However, paying extra effort into crafting your CNA resume is necessary.
- Write a good CNA cover letter: As the CNA cover letter is the first of your document that the institutions will read. Ensure it shows sincerity and passion, most importantly, mention that you are a fast learner and address that you acknowledge your shortcoming, and therefore, will work harder.
- Include relative CNA job description for resume: Show that you are knowledgeable about the industry even without hands-on experience. This way, CNA resume readers will take your lacking experience as a sign of having potential, and you will have successfully turned a disadvantage into an advantage.
How to write a phenomenal CNA cover letter?
Before continuing, receive critical advice from the cover letter tutorials.
- Contact Information:
Have your name, email address, and phone number on top of your nursing assistant cover letter. - Formal greeting:
Address to the specific hospital or families (if known) to generate a more amiable vibe. - Self Introduction:
Answer why you are the right CNA to them and include one or two outstanding qualities extracted from your certified nursing assistant resume. - Call to Action:
Make it clear that you can work at any point. - A strong closing:
Nicely pack the letter with a sincere appreciation.
Certified nursing assistant resume sample
Vanessa Robbinson
Professional Nursing Assistant who Successfully Resolved 20+ Hospital Emergencies
Houston, Texas, USA
789-920-0111
[email protected]
Professional Summary
Certified Nursing Assistant with 5+ years of experience in handling emergencies and severe illnesses. Optimized hospital’s appointment system user experience by gathering detailed patient feedback. Aims to ensure patients' comfort as a certified nursing assistant.
Work Experience
Certified Nursing Assistant
Chicago Hospital
Oct 2019 - Dec 2021
- Responsible for needle injections
- Guided patients with the right instructions
- Oversaw beds with patients of severe illness
Certified Nursing Assistant
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital
Sept 2013- May 2019
- Reported patients’ status to the nurses
- Collected samples for doctors
- Assisted doctors with surgery medical instruments preparation before and during surgeries
Education
Baylor College of Medicine, School of Medicine
B.A. Degree
- Year of Graduation June 2013
- GPA: 3.8/4.3
- Fulbright Scholar
Skills
Hard skills
- ADLs assistance
- Nutritional meal preparation
- Proficient in medical terminology
- Medical protocols
- Medical record charting software.
Soft skills
- Compassion
- Communication skills
- Multitasking
- Organization
- Patient relationship management
Certifications
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Certification
Qualifications:
Federal Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation
--- Originally written by Rebecca Huang ---
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