Certified Nursing Assistant Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-level
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CNA Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
How To Write a Certified Nursing Assistant Resume
You can write a strong certified nursing assistant (CNA) resume by showing how you keep patients safe and comfortable at a hospital or other health care facility. The tips below will help you capture these skills —like monitoring patients’ pulse and blood pressure or helping nursing staff provide wound care — in each section of your resume so it gets you interviews for your next CNA job.
1. Write a brief summary of your certified nursing assistant qualifications
Your resume profile should catch hiring managers’ interest by giving the top reasons they can rely on you for daily patient care. Think about how you excel as a CNA and what you’ve been recognized for. For example, maybe you’ve stood out on your team for actively collaborating with nurse staff. Perhaps you’ve shown high efficiency in balancing patient requests in a large hospital environment. Or you have many years working in facilities like the ones you’re now applying to and offer rare expertise and leadership ability. Cite your top strengths as a CNA in your profile to show managers the impact you’d have on their patient population.
Entry-Level Profile Example
Patient-focused CNA with over three years of experience. Recognized for strong empathy, diligence, and efficiency in helping patients carry out various Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Naturally curious and committed to gaining and applying new health care expertise.
Senior-Level Profile Example
Lead CNA with over 10 years of experience delivering patient-centered care in high-volume surgical and intensive care units. Equally effective in a leadership or hands-on role. Recognized for treating patients with dignity and compassion while providing emotional support to family members. Adapt readily to new work challenges and conditions.
2. Showcase your certified nursing assistant experience
With the experience section, you can show you’re a great CNA by giving examples of your success in supporting patients’ physical comfort and well-being. For each past CNA job, think of how you contributed to the health care team and how that supported patient outcomes. And when describing your work results, quantify them in terms of a specific number, ranking, or percentage. For instance, did you earn a high satisfaction rating from patients? Or assist a certain number of patients per day or week? Alternatively, did you rank high on your team for efficient or accurate health documentation? Through quantified examples like these, you can help hiring managers envision you as a valued CNA at their care facility.
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example
CNA, UC San Diego Health, San Diego, CA | September 2021 to present
- Deliver compassionate care to patients with acute conditions and injuries
- Ensure optimal patient comfort during bed rest and transport
- Help nursing staff provide wound care and change dressings as needed to improve circulation and reduce risk of infection
- Monitor patients’ pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation level
Highlights:
- Achieved patient satisfaction ratings of 90% to 95%
- Praised for diligent compliance with COVID-19 safety and infection prevention protocols
Mid-Career Professional Experience Example
CNA, Community Medical Center, Scranton, PA | March 2020 to present
- Deliver care to surgical patients in this 300-bed community hospital
- Reduce risk of infection by ensuring compliance with health and safety protocols
- Assist therapeutic exercises during rehab to improve patients’ range of motion following major orthopedic surgeries
- Provide mouth care to patients on life support, monitor vital signs, and alert registered nurses (RNs) and physicians of changes in patient condition
Highlight:
- Identified opportunities to enhance clinical operations and supported efforts to reduce patient wait times by 15%
3. Include education and certifications relevant to certified nursing assistants
Use the education and certifications sections to show your CNA work has a strong knowledge base. Include basic details on your highest school degree, your CNA education program, and any health care credentials you’ve earned. But also consider adding specific course names or topics you covered as part of your studies. This can be a great way to show knowledge of any areas you’d like to gain more experience in as part of your next CNA job.
Below, you’ll find templates and examples to help you format your education and certification details. Note: optional template areas appear in [brackets].
Education
Template
- Degree or Program Name, School Name, City, ST | [Year]
- [Select Coursework: Topic, Topic]
Example
- Nurse Aide Training Program, Lackawanna College, Scranton, PA | 2017
Certification
Template
- Certification Name, [Awarding Organization] | [Year]
Example
- Registered Nurse Aide, Pennsylvania Nurse Aide Registry
4. List key certified nursing assistant skills and proficiencies
Add a key skills section to show hiring managers the many ways you assist your patients and colleagues. Given the varied nature of most CNA positions, this can be a useful section to develop on your resume. The terms you include here can range from soft skills like collaboration to technical skills like Electronic Health Records (EHR) to patient age groups or demographics. Also, if your CNA work has advanced to include administering medications, you may want to feature those in this section. Ensure any term you include overlaps with your target job. Below are some common keywords for CNA resumes:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| ADLs | Assistive devices |
| Basic Life Support (BLS) | Basic patient care and hygiene |
| Clinical operations | CPR |
| Cross-functional collaboration | Disease and infection prevention |
| EHR | First aid |
| Health care safety protocols | HIPAA |
| Patient advocacy | Patient and family relations |
| Patient assessment | Patient-centered care |
| Patient mobilization | Phlebotomy |
| Physical examinations | Physician support |
| Task prioritization | Time management |
| Vital signs monitoring | |
How To Pick the Best CNA Resume Template
For CNAs, a clear and straightforward resume template is usually best. Opt for a visual design that lets the hiring manager quickly review your best career details. Select a traditional resume font, and avoid any template with colorful or elaborate design. Also, make sure the template is compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to screen resumes.
Frequently Asked Questions: CNA Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for CNA resumes? -
For CNAs, the best resume verbs pertain to hands-on patient care – for example, “delivered,” “provided,” or “supported.” But there are various others you might use to describe your duties and contributions in this field. The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your CNA resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Administered | Analyzed |
| Collaborated | Communicated |
| Conducted | Coordinated |
| Created | Delivered |
| Developed | Engaged |
| Enhanced | Evaluated |
| Facilitated | Generated |
| Helped | Identified |
| Implemented | Improved |
| Led | Managed |
| Measured | Monitored |
| Oversaw | Partnered |
| Performed | Prevented |
| Provided | Recorded |
| Repositioned | Resolved |
| Retrieved | Supported |
| Worked with | |
How do you align your resume with a job posting?-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for nursing assistants and orderlies will increase by about 5% between 2021 and 2031. This growth rate is roughly the same as the average for all U.S. vocations.
You can get more interviews in this growing field if you tailor your resume for each job application. For example, if the health care facility is seeking a CNA with a strong collaborative streak, you may want to highlight that aspect of your experience in your profile and experience sections. Detail any success you’ve had working with various RNs, LPNs, hospitalists, and other health care professionals. Or say the facility has many ESL patients. You could highlight your foreign language skills both in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each new job opportunity.
What is the best CNA resume format? -
In nearly all cases, use a Combination (or Hybrid) resume, because it’s simplest for hiring managers to learn about your pertinent skills and experience – it’s also easiest for you to align with your job goals.
With the Combination format, you highlight your most relevant skills and expertise in your experience or work history section, and an intro section. (This combination of work history and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro should usually include a profile summary and key skills section, but you may also add a career highlights or awards section. By carefully choosing the details for these sections, you can (a) position yourself for your target job and (b) give hiring managers a clear, quick view of what you offer.
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To increase your chances of an interview, write and submit a strong cover letter. The key to an effective letter is customizing it based on each job opening. Read our CNA cover letter guide to learn how. For other related examples, see our licensed vocational nurse (LVN) and nursing cover letter guides.
