How to List CNA Skills on a Resume

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Working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) requires many skills to complete several challenging tasks. Many employers want to see these skills listed on a resume to ensure you’re capable of providing patients with a valuable experience. Showcase these skills by featuring them on your resume in a way that stands out to hiring managers. In this article, you will learn how to list CNA skills on a resume and how to improve your CNA resume skills.

Why employers want to see CNA skills on your resume

A CNA holds many responsibilities for a clinic or hospital. Employers want to ensure you can complete each task efficiently. They may use your resume to verify that you have the necessary skills needed to accomplish specific duties. These responsibilities often involve patient care, maintaining patient health records and being knowledgeable of certain diseases. Once an employer notices you have the skills of an ideal CNA employee, they may be more interested in hiring you. 

How to list CNA skills on a resume

Follow the steps below to learn how to list CNA skills on your resume: 

1. First, note your skills and compare them to skills listed on job postings

Write each skill you’ve gained from your previous work experience or in your courses. Once you have these skills selected, start researching job postings. Search for jobs in your desired location and in your preferred setting, like a hospital or clinic. Once you’ve found job postings that interest you, read the skills the employer prefers. Note each skill listed on these job postings and compare them to the skills you currently have. 

2. Second, state your objective 

Once your skills are determined, write your objective, which summarizes your professional and workplace goals. It’s often one to two sentences long and is near the top of your resume. Include one or two of your skills in this section and explain how you’ll apply them to the role. 

Example: ‘Seeking a CNA position at a hospital where I can apply my advanced medical terminology knowledge and patient observation skills.’ 

3. Next, add skills to your experience section

Now you can apply your skills to your work experience. When listing your duties and responsibilities, include your skills and how they were used to improve your workplace. Try to be specific when explaining how you applied these skills to your regular tasks. 

Example: ‘Used my advanced knowledge of common medical terminology to help find diagnoses for patients and identify any signs or symptoms that seem out of the ordinary or related to a certain illness.’

4. Finally, list your skills in their own section

Once you have included your CNA skills in the work experience and objective sections of your resume, add a full list of your relevant skills in a separate ‘Skills’ section. List any skills you haven’t mentioned yet and, most importantly, include your skills that align with the requirements mentioned in the job posting. 

Best CNA skills to add to a resume

Below are some common CNA skills to include on your resume: 

Medical terminology knowledge

As you work with patients, doctors and nurses, you should know basic medical terminology to determine what types of illnesses or diseases a patient may have. This helps you understand how to help treat the illness and to look out for symptoms that can occur with certain diseases. 

Verbal communication 

Since CNAs work with patients regularly to address any needs or concerns, you should have strong verbal communication and listening skills. By using these skills, you can communicate a patient’s diagnosis or treatment in a friendly way. This allows the patient to feel more relaxed and encouraged to ask any questions. 

Knowledge of basic patient care practices

As a CNA, you may be asked to provide regular basic care to patients. This can include checking patients’ vital signs, getting their pulse and blood pressure and performing other observational tasks. Since they should be completed several times a day, many employers will search for these skills on your resume to ensure you are knowledgeable and efficient when completing these tasks. 

Detail-oriented

Since a CNA is constantly completing tasks quickly, you must ensure you are completing them correctly by paying close attention to every detail. This should especially occur when you are working with patients who are experiencing unusual symptoms or if patients are showing small signs of health issues. 

Electronic medical records experience

You may use a computer regularly when working as a CNA, especially to input medical records. CNAs often use common medical records software to keep medical records updated. List certain software experience as a skill to inform an employer that you have used similar programs and can adapt to using their software. 

How to improve your CNA skills

Follow the steps below to learn how to improve your skills as a CNA: 

1. First, take relevant courses 

One of the most effective ways to enhance your CNA resume skills is to take more courses related to a CNA career. You can enroll in a university or community college as a part-time student. This allows you to continue working as a CNA and taking courses to build more skills and possibly receive a higher title.

2. Next, learn more from other employees 

Other employees, especially ones who have worked in their profession for many years, may have gained experience you can learn from. Ask them for advice or guidance to gain more skills to apply towards the position. They can teach you certain skills and supervise you as you apply these skills during the job.

3. Finally, take on more responsibilities

Once you’ve gained more skills from courses and on the job from other employees, you can ask your supervisors for more responsibilities. Ask to lead a team of nurses to build leadership skills or request to join a researching team to enhance your medical terminology knowledge. These new responsibilities may even impress your employers once they notice the initiative you’ve taken to complete these tasks.