Best Nursing Assistant Resume Examples for 2024 (Template & Guide)

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Nursing Assistant Resume: Choose a Format

Before you start writing your resume, you need to decide on a template and a resume format. Choosing the right format for your nursing assistant resume is crucial for highlighting your strengths and putting your qualifications in the best light.

There are three options to consider for a nursing assistant resume: chronological, functional, and combination.

Each format serves a different purpose, so select the one that best fits your experience and career goals. Let’s take a look at each format to help you decide!

Chronological Resumes for Nursing Assistants

A chronological resume format lists your work experience in a chronological timeline. This format is ideal if you have a solid work history as a nursing assistant and want to showcase your career progression. It highlights your career growth and is easy for hiring managers to follow.

A chronological resume lists your previous jobs, starting with your most recent job and working backward. It also details your responsibilities and achievements in each role, creating a clear picture of your abilities for employers.

This format is also compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS) that screen resumes before they are reviewed by hiring managers. However, if you have gaps in your employment history or are changing careers, there may be better options for showcasing your qualifications.

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Functional Resumes for Nursing Assistants

A functional resume takes a different approach by focusing on your skills and qualifications rather than your work history. This format is perfect if you’re transitioning into a nursing assistant career or have gaps in your employment.

Functional resumes allow you to emphasize your caregiving skills, projects, and relevant experience without tying your abilities to job titles and timelines.

However, the lack of a clear work history makes this format less compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS), and employers may wonder why you have omitted those details. Be sure to present your skills and accomplishments clearly to offset any concerns.

Combination Resumes for Nursing Assistants

A combination resume blends the best of both chronological and functional formats. This hybrid approach allows you to highlight your skills and qualifications while also providing a detailed work history.

This format is especially beneficial for nursing assistants who have a robust skill set and relevant experience. It provides a balanced view, showing both your abilities and your career progression.

However, combination resumes can be tricky to organize and may make your resume lengthy. When using this format, stay focused on the most relevant information.

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Choosing a Resume Format

Choosing a resume format is a crucial step in crafting a resume to land your next job as a nursing assistant.

When in doubt, a chronological format is often your best bet. It’s a safe and widely accepted choice that showcases your work history clearly, making it easy for hiring managers to see your career progression at a glance.

Plus, chronological resumes are ATS-friendly, which means they’re more likely to get through automated screening systems and into the hands of human recruiters.

But what if you’re just starting out or don’t have much experience as a nursing assistant? Don’t worry – you can still make a chronological resume work for you by highlighting your transferable skills and related experiences.

Skills like time management, attention to detail, and teamwork are highly valuable in caregiving. If you’ve completed internships or volunteer work in healthcare or related fields, make sure to highlight these experiences. Even if you were not in a nursing assistant role, focus on tasks that involved patient interaction, assistance with daily activities, or any form of support.

You can also highlight any relevant coursework, training or certifications to let employers know you are dedicated to your profession and continuing your education.

Following these tips, you can tailor a chronological resume to effectively showcase your transferable skills and experiences, making a strong case for why you’re an excellent candidate for a nursing assistant position, even if you don’t have direct experience.

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How to Write a Nursing Assistant Resume

Once you have chosen your resume format, the process is straightforward. Creating a nursing assistant resume involves highlighting your skills, experience, and qualifications in a clear and engaging way.

First, you’ll create a resume outline with the following sections:

• • • • • Contact Information
        • Summary or Objective
        • Work History
        • Skills
        • Education
        • Optional Additional Sections

Each section of your nursing assistant resume helps potential employers get to know you and helps them determine whether you are a good fit for the role. This helpful guide will walk you through writing a resume that stands out from the competition!

Contact Information

First, you need to provide contact information so employers can reach out to you for an interview! Begin with your full name, city and state, phone number, email address, and (optionally) a link to your professional portfolio or LinkedIn profile. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and professional.

This section is straightforward but crucial – you want potential employers to be able to reach you easily.

Your contact information can be formatted in many ways, but it will most likely look something like this:

Lily Smith
Seattle, WA
lily.smith@example.com
(555) 123-4567
linkedin.com/in/lilysmith

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Summary or Objective

Next, you will introduce your resume with either a resume summary or an objective statement. While both provide potential employers with a brief overview of your qualifications, they serve slightly different purposes.

Deciding whether to include a summary or an objective depends largely on your career stage and goals, and understanding these differences can help you choose which is best for your nursing assistant resume.

A resume summary highlights your past work experience, skills, and achievements—particularly when these directly align with the job you’re applying for. It’s ideal if you have relevant experience in the field, as it allows you to summarize your career highlights and key competencies.

This introduction can immediately catch a hiring manager’s attention by showcasing your most impressive qualifications.

For example, a resume summary for a nursing assistant might say:

“Dedicated nursing assistant with over five years of experience delivering comprehensive patient care in diverse healthcare environments. Adept at conducting detailed patient evaluations, administering medications accurately, and providing emotional support to patients and their families. Known for a commitment to improving patient health outcomes and a consistent history of exceeding healthcare standards and patient expectations.”

In contrast, a resume objective is typically more beneficial if you are new to the field, making a career change, or returning to work after a gap. This section should focus on your career goals and how they align with the opportunities the employer offers.

An objective can be particularly effective in explaining your motivation for switching to a new career or entering a new industry, framing your transferable skills in a way that makes them relevant to the new role.

For example, here’s an objective statement for a nursing assistant resume:

“Aspiring nursing assistant passionate about providing top-notch patient care. Eager to leverage my extensive background in customer service and newly acquired healthcare training to contribute to effective patient support in a dynamic healthcare environment. Committed to applying my skills to promote recovery and enhance the quality of life for patients.”

Whether you choose a summary or an objective, tailoring this section for each application is crucial. Incorporate keywords from the job description to align more closely with what the employer is seeking. This makes your resume ATS-friendly and shows you paid attention to the job’s requirements.

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Work History

The work history section is where you showcase your professional journey and highlight your experience as a nursing assistant. This section should tell a compelling story of your career, emphasizing your responsibilities and achievements.

Begin by listing your jobs in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working your way backward. This format helps employers see your career progression at a glance.

Each job entry should include the job title, company name, location, and dates of employment. These details provide context and help hiring managers understand your career path.

Then, under each job, include a brief description of your primary responsibilities and notable achievements. Use bullet points for clarity and conciseness.

Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb to make your responsibilities and achievements more dynamic and engaging. Words like “coordinated,” “tracked,” “implemented,” and “supported” are great examples.

Pro Tip: To add credibility to your resume, use numbers to quantify your achievements whenever possible. Numbers and percentages validate your impact in each role. For example, “Assisted in caring for 30+ patients daily, improving patient satisfaction scores by 20%.”

Here’s an example of a job entry for a nursing assistant’s resume:

Certified Nursing Assistant
University Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
June 2021 – Present

• • • • • Assisted nurses in providing patient care, including personal care, dressing and eating meals.
        • Administered medications accurately and on schedule for 25 patients daily.
        • Monitored vital signs and reported changes to nursing staff.
        • Assisted with mobility and physical therapy exercises, enhancing patient independence and reducing fall incidents by 15%.

By following these guidelines and using detailed examples, you can create a work history section that effectively showcases your nursing assistant experience and achievements. This will help you stand out to potential employers and demonstrate your value as a nursing assistant.

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Skills

Next, you will showcase your most relevant nursing assistant skills in a dedicated skills section. This section highlights your abilities, making it easy for potential employers to see you are a good fit for the job.

Feature a blend of both hard and soft skills on your resume to highlight your versatility and capability as a nursing assistant, demonstrating that you are well-equipped to manage diverse aspects of the job and collaborate effectively with your healthcare team.

Hard skills refer to technical abilities that are easily quantifiable, like administering medications or conducting patient assessments. On the other hand, soft skills encompass the personal attributes and interpersonal skills that influence how you interact and succeed in the workplace, such as your ability to empathize with patients or manage your time efficiently.

We’ve compiled the top skills for nursing assistant resumes to help you get started:

Top 5 Hard Skills for Nursing Assistant Resumes

• • • • • Medication Administration: Ensuring that patients receive their medications correctly and on time is a core part of nursing that directly impacts patient health and safety. Including this skill shows you are reliable and knowledgeable about medication protocols.
        • Vital Sign Monitoring: Mastery of checking and recording vital signs is fundamental for nursing assistants. This skill involves accurately measuring temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rates, which are essential for monitoring patients’ health and detecting potential problems early.
        • Basic Life Support: Training in basic life support underscores a nursing assistant’s ability to perform CPR and other emergency life-saving procedures. Including this skill reassures employers of your capability to act swiftly and effectively in critical situations.
        • Patient Care Tasks: Proficiency in specific patient care tasks, such as catheter and feeding tube management, wound care, and mobility assistance. This skill set demonstrates your hands-on abilities in providing direct patient care and support, ensuring comfort and promoting healing.
        • Medical Record Keeping: Accurate medical record keeping is essential in any healthcare role. It demonstrates attention to detail and ensures careful and well-documented patient care.

Top 5 Soft Skills for Nursing Assistant Resumes

• • • • • Empathy: The capacity to understand and share the feelings of others; empathy is crucial for nursing assistants. It fosters a deeper connection with patients, helping to provide compassionate care tailored to each individual’s emotional and physical needs.
        • Patience: Patience is crucial for managing challenging situations calmly and efficiently. It also ensures that care is delivered with kindness and understanding.
        • Interpersonal Communication: Effective communication is essential for interacting productively with patients, families, and healthcare staff. This skill involves speaking clearly, listening attentively, and conveying information in a compassionate and professional manner, which is crucial for teamwork and patient satisfaction.
        • Time Management: In the fast-paced world of healthcare, ensuring that all patient needs are met in a timely manner is the key to maintaining a structured and effective caregiving routine.
        • Stress Management: Nursing assistants often work in high-pressure environments that require the ability to manage stress effectively. This skill ensures you can maintain a calm demeanor, think clearly, and act responsibly even under stress, enhancing the care environment for patients and colleagues alike.

Depending on your resume template and format, you can format your skills section in various ways. Here’s one example:

Skills

• • • • • Clinical Skills: Proficient in a range of clinical procedures, including blood pressure monitoring, glucose testing, and sterile dressing changes.
        • Emergency Response: Trained in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS); adept at responding quickly in emergencies to stabilize patients.
        • Nutritional Support: Knowledgeable in assisting patients with meal planning and feeding, catering to specific dietary needs and restrictions.
        • Infection Control: Rigorous in applying infection control standards to prevent the spread of illness within healthcare facilities.
        • Effective Communicator: Excellent at communicating with patients, families, and medical staff to ensure consistent care and understanding.
        • Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational skills, ensuring accurate documentation and patient record management.
        • Cultural Sensitivity: Skilled at providing culturally sensitive care, understanding and respecting diverse patient backgrounds and needs.
        • Flexibility: Adaptable to changing schedules, patient needs, and clinical environments, maintaining high standards of care.

However, if you have an extensive work history, you may need to simplify your skills to save page space, like this:

Skills

• • • • • Wound Care
        • Vital Signs Monitoring
        • CPR & First Aid
        • Compassionate Caregiving
        • Problem-Solving
        • Charting and Documentation

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Education

The education section of your resume is a critical space to highlight your formal training and degrees that qualify you as a nursing assistant. Here’s how to structure this section effectively.

Start with your most recent educational achievement and work your way back. For each academic credential or training program, list the qualification, the name of the educational institution, and its location.

For example, the education section of a nursing assistant resume might look like this:

Education

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Health Care Training Institute, Las Vegas, NV

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Additional Sections

Adding additional sections to your nursing assistant resume can significantly enhance your resume by showcasing your unique skills and experiences. These sections draw attention to information that sets you apart as a candidate.

Here are some optional sections to consider adding to a resume for a nursing assistant:

• • • • • Certifications: Adding relevant certifications to your resume underscores your dedication to ongoing education and mastery of specific competencies within your field. This keeps you current with healthcare advancements and highlights your initiative and expertise, making you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.
        • Volunteer Experience: Detailing your volunteer activities is a great way to illustrate your commitment to helping others and your engagement with the community. This experience is particularly valuable as it often involves skills like collaboration, leadership, and effective communication, which are crucial in nursing roles.
        • Professional Affiliations: Listing memberships in professional organizations related to healthcare shows that you are connected and active in your industry. It demonstrates a professional commitment and can provide networking opportunities that might appeal to prospective employers.
        • Languages: Proficiency in additional languages can be a significant asset in many healthcare settings where communication with diverse patient populations is key. Including this information can set you apart from other candidates, especially in communities with a high number of non-English speakers.

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Top Certifications for Nursing Assistants

Including certifications on your resume broadens your professional appeal and underscores a commitment to ongoing education and excellence in healthcare.

Each certification enhances your ability to provide exceptional patient care and handle complex situations, making you a valuable asset to any healthcare team.

Here are the top certifications for nursing assistants:

• • • • • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): This certification is fundamental for nursing assistants, affirming your proficiency in basic patient care. It’s recognized across various healthcare environments, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and private care facilities, providing a solid foundation for your career.
        • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): While similar to CPR, ACLS certification involves more advanced practices that are crucial for emergencies, particularly in settings where cardiac care is required. It enhances your ability to respond to cardiac emergencies with a higher level of expertise.
        • Certified Medication Aide (CMA): This certification enables nursing assistants to administer medication under the supervision of a nurse, adding a valuable skill to your repertoire. It is particularly useful in long-term care facilities where medication management is a daily task.
        • Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP): This certification is ideal for those working in settings with elderly patients who suffer from dementia. It highlights your specialized skills in managing and understanding the complexities of their care.
        • Basic Life Support (BLS): BLS certification goes beyond typical first aid, including elements such as CPR, but is tailored to healthcare providers. It underscores your preparedness to handle a variety of emergencies, enhancing your attractiveness to potential employers.

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8 Tips for Writing a Nursing Assistant Resume

Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume for each position by emphasizing the experiences and skills that align most closely with the job description. Highlighting relevant experiences shows employers you’re a fit for the specific role they’re filling.

Incorporate Keywords: Use specific keywords and phrases found in the job posting. This strategy helps your resume pass Applicant Tracking Systems and shows you understand the needs of the position.

Detail Your Clinical Skills: Include details about your clinical competencies, such as taking vital signs, patient hygiene, and any specialized equipment you are trained to use. If you have skills mentioned in the job description, include them on your resume to show you are ready for the role.

Quantify Your Impact: Whenever possible, add numbers to describe your achievements. For example, “Administered medication to up to 25 patients per shift,” which gives potential employers a sense of your responsibilities and impact.

Be Concise but Comprehensive: Keep your resume to one page if possible, especially if you are early in your career. Make every word count and keep the layout clean and organized.

Use Powerful Action Verbs: Begin bullet points with action verbs that convey your skills and effectiveness, such as “administered,” “implemented,” or “supported.” Action verbs help employers visualize you doing the work and will also make your writing more compelling.

Proofread Thoroughly: Spelling or grammatical errors can undermine your professionalism. Attention to detail is essential for nursing assistants, so review your resume several times and consider having someone else proofread it as well.

Make Your Resume ATS-Friendly: Use a simple, straightforward, basic resume format with standard fonts, bullet points, and non-complex layout elements to ensure Applicant Tracking Systems can easily read your resume.