CNA Skills
These are the key hard and soft skills required for a job as a certified nursing assistant in 2024 based on our database of over 10 million real job listings.
Optimize your resume
Certified nursing assistant skills, or CNA skills, include caring for people with patience, empathy, and accuracy. Hospitals, long-term care residences, senior living communities, and rehabilitation centers often need CNAs to care for clients and patients.How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 CNA Hard Skills
top 10 CNA Soft Skills
top 10 CNA skills on Resume with High Match Rate
- Nursing
- Care
- Communication
- Patient Care
- Vital Signs
- Medical
- Safety
- Customer Service
- Medical Terminology
- Professional
Top 10 CNA skills
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted routine checks and calibrations on vital signs monitors and infusion pumps, ensuring equipment reliability and reducing malfunctions by 15%.
- Assisted in the administration of IV therapy, ensuring proper setup and monitoring, which decreased the incidence of IV-related complications by 12%.
- Skilled in using mechanical lifts and transfer devices to safely move patients, reducing staff injuries and patient falls by 40%.
- Conducted routine maintenance and troubleshooting of patient monitoring systems, ensuring uninterrupted patient data flow and reducing downtime by 20%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted over 1,000 blood draws with a 98% first-attempt success rate, minimizing patient discomfort and improving efficiency.
- Maintained accurate records and ensured proper handling and transportation of blood samples, contributing to a 10% decrease in sample processing errors.
- Successfully managed the inventory of phlebotomy supplies, reducing supply shortages by 30%.
- Collaborated with healthcare teams to prioritize and complete urgent blood draw requests promptly, decreasing response time by 15%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Effectively communicated patient needs and concerns to the healthcare team, ensuring a cohesive approach to patient care.
- Monitored and documented the nutritional intake and hydration levels of 12 patients per shift, resulting in a 10% improvement in overall patient health metrics.
- Educated patients on postoperative care procedures, resulting in a 30% increase in adherence to discharge instructions.
- Improved patient satisfaction scores by 15% by providing compassionate and timely assistance with ADLs.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Utilized manual and electronic sphygmomanometers to measure and record blood pressure for 40 patients daily, leading to the early identification and management of hypertension in 10 patients per month.
- Regularly assessed and recorded respiration rates for an average of 30 patients per shift, contributing to a 15% reduction in respiratory distress incidents through prompt identification and response.
- Educated patients and their families on the importance of regular vital signs monitoring, leading to increased patient compliance and a 20% improvement in health management and follow-up care.
- Collaborated with nurses and doctors to analyze and interpret vital signs data for 40 patients daily, facilitating accurate diagnosis and treatment plans, resulting in a 30% increase in patient satisfaction scores.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Rapidly assessed and responded to cardiac emergencies, coordinating with a multidisciplinary team to enhance patient outcomes.
- Conducted over 200 hours of CPR and BLS training for healthcare professionals, significantly boosting the facility’s emergency response capabilities.
- Participated in hospital-wide drills and simulations, demonstrating exemplary CPR skills and contributing to a 10% improvement in overall emergency response scores.
- Volunteered as a CPR instructor for community outreach programs, teaching life-saving skills to over 150 community members and increasing public awareness and preparedness.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Assisted in the implementation of an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system, reducing documentation errors by 30% and improving workflow efficiency.
- Reduced medication administration errors by 20% through meticulous adherence to protocols and continuous education on drug interactions and side effects.
- Monitored and documented patient responses to medications, contributing to a 15% improvement in overall patient health outcomes.
- Educated patients and their families on medication regimens, enhancing patient compliance by 15% and improving overall health management.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Successfully completed all required documentation and patient records within each shift, maintaining a 100% accuracy rate and contributing to a 25% reduction in audit discrepancies.
- Took initiative to educate patients on health management and post-discharge care, improving patient compliance and reducing readmissions by 10%.
- Demonstrated reliability by consistently covering additional shifts when needed, contributing to a 95% staff attendance rate and ensuring continuous patient care.
- Efficiently managed care for 12 patients per shift, ensuring timely completion of all tasks with a 98% satisfaction rate from patients and families.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Monitored and reported patient progress and changes, resulting in a 20% improvement in the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment plans.
- Accurately documented patient responses to treatments, contributing to a 30% reduction in medical errors and ensuring continuity of care.
- Ensured timely administration of medications and therapies as per treatment plans, resulting in a 10% increase in patient satisfaction scores.
- Provided emotional support and education to patients, enhancing treatment plan adherence and reducing hospital readmission rates by 10%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted daily physical observations and assessments, identifying early signs of complications and reducing emergency incidents by 15%.
- Utilized medical equipment to measure vital signs, maintaining a 100% compliance rate with infection control protocols and enhancing patient safety.
- Assisted in over 50 patient examinations per month, ensuring efficient preparation and contributing to a reduction in examination time by 10 minutes per patient.
- Maintained detailed observation records, aiding in the development of individualized care plans and improving patient outcomes by 20%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Maintained detailed and precise patient records, contributing to a 98% compliance rate during medical audits and improving overall patient care quality.
- Provided clear and concise oral reports during shift handovers, enhancing continuity of care and reducing information loss by 25%.
- Utilized electronic health records (EHR) to update patient information, improving data accessibility and reducing record-keeping errors by 30%.
- Maintained patient confidentiality while reporting sensitive information, ensuring a 100% compliance rate with HIPAA regulations.
Tips for writing a CNA resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, a CNA’s bullet points might look like this:
- Managed patient documentation and electronic health records with 99% accuracy, contributing to improved patient data integrity and care continuity.
- Provided direct patient care to an average of 15 patients per shift, ensuring a 95% satisfaction rate as measured by patient feedback surveys.
- Accurately monitored and recorded vital signs for 30+ patients daily, leading to early detection and timely intervention for 10 critical cases.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.
If a recruiter is excited by your communication skills, for example, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and accomplishments in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your significant accomplishments wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
For example, if you successfully executed complex treatment plans be sure to mention the accomplishment.
Instead of saying,
“Executed complex treatment plans.”
You could say,
“Effectively executed complex treatment plans, achieving a 30% increase in patient mobility and a 25% decrease in reported pain levels over a six-month period.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
For example, someone applying for a role as a CNA might benefit from segmenting their skill list as follows:
Patient Care:
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) assistance
Technical Skills:
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) management
- Medical software proficiency
- Medical equipment experience
Emergency Response Skills:
- CPR and First Aid
- Emergency procedure execution
- Rapid assessment and triage
Quantify your achievements
Use numbers to quantify your achievements wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Assisted patients with daily activities including bathing, dressing, and feeding.”
You could say,
“Assisted 15 patients daily with bathing, dressing, and feeding, achieving a 98% patient satisfaction rate as measured by weekly feedback surveys.”
By using numbers, you give hiring managers a better sense of your value.
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Here’s an example of how to tailor a CNA’s resume to a job description:
Job Title: Certified Nursing Assistant
- Current CNA Certification
- Three years of experience providing support for seniors in activities of daily living (ADLs).
- Knowledge of taking, interpreting, and recording vital signs.
- Experience monitoring residents’ diets alongside dieticians, including preferences, allergies, and restrictions.
Tailored Resume Description:
- Current CNA certification, demonstrating compliance with state and federal regulations.
- Provided compassionate and comprehensive care to seniors for over three years, supporting activities of daily living (ADLs) including bathing, dressing, and mobility assistance.
- Conducted regular vital signs checks and reported abnormalities to nursing staff, contributing to early detection and management of potential health issues.
- Successfully maintained accurate dietary records for 30+ residents, resulting in a 20% improvement in adherence to personalized nutrition plans and overall resident well-being.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
Include relevant certifications to showcase your qualifications:
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
- CPR certification
- Additional training in dementia care, phlebotomy, or wound care.
Essential skills for a CNA resume include:
- Patient Care: Experience in providing comprehensive care such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and toileting patients.
- Vital Signs Monitoring: Proficiency in measuring and recording blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate.
- Basic Life Support (BLS): Certification and ability to perform CPR and other emergency procedures.
- Infection Control: Knowledge and practice of infection prevention techniques, including proper hand hygiene and use of PPE.
- ADL Assistance: Expertise in assisting patients with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) like grooming, mobility, and eating.
- Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with patients, families, and healthcare teams.
- Empathy and Compassion: Ability to provide emotional support and compassionate care to patients.
- Teamwork: Experience working collaboratively with nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals.
- Medical Terminology: Understanding of common medical terms and abbreviations used in healthcare settings.
Avoid these common mistakes:
- Being too vague: Provide specific examples of your skills and experiences instead of generic statements.
- Listing irrelevant skills: Focus on skills directly related to the CNA role and healthcare.
- Exaggerating abilities: Be honest about your skills and experience to avoid being caught off guard during interviews.
- Neglecting to proofread: Ensure your resume is free of typos and grammatical errors, as attention to detail is crucial in healthcare.
Yes, technical skills are essential as they demonstrate your ability to handle medical equipment and technology:
- Proficient in using electronic health record (EHR) systems for documenting patient information.
- Skilled in operating medical devices such as blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, and pulse oximeters.
- Experienced in performing basic diagnostic tests and reporting results to supervising nurses.
Yes, tailoring your resume to the job description increases your chances of being noticed:
- Carefully review the job description and highlight the skills and experiences that match the employer’s requirements.
- Include keywords from the job listing to pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) and show alignment with the role.
- Customize your objective or summary statement to reflect your specific interest in the position and the organization.