Nursing Skills for Your Resume Career [+Tips]

Nursing Skills for Your Resume Career [+Tips] Considering a career in nursing?Great!This guide will help you see if you have what it takes to become a successful nurse.Already a nurse looking for a job?Lovely!Well show you how to give your nursing skills a proper treatment on your resume.This article will show you:A checklist of basic skills required for nursing.Lists of specialized nursing skills for a resume.Examples of how to put nursing skills on a resume.Instructions on how to show off your nursing skills on a resume.Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowWant to learn how to write the best resumes fo r healthcare professionals? Read our guides:Nursing Student ResumeCaregiver ResumeMedical Assistant ResumeRegistered Nurse ResumePhlebotomy ResumeDental Assistant ResumePharmacist ResumePharmacy Technician ResumeMedical Coder ResumeSurgical Tech ResumePhysical Therapy ResumeEMT/Paramedic ResumeSample Resumes for All Professions1Nursing Skills for Various SpecialtiesHeres the thing:Its not enough to simplyhavethe best nursing skillsYou need to put them in the spotlight on yournursing resume.Heres a list of popular nursing resume skills for you to consider:Examples of Nursing Skills for a ResumeListAdministering and monitoring moderate sedationAppearance/character of urine and stool assessmentAssessing the respiratory systemCare of drains/tubesChest tube managementCollaboration and TeamworkCritical decision-makingFall risk assessment/preventionGeneral medicine expertiseIV TherapyNational patient safety goals/core measuresNebulizer treatmentsObtaining cultures for septic workup (e.g. b lood, sputum, catheter tips)Obtaining peripheral venous bloodPatient rightsPerforming complex dressing changesRestraints/use of least restrictive deviceSeizure precautionsSpecimen collectionWhen selecting the right nursing skills for your resume, its crucial to focus on the skills characteristic of your specialization.Take a look at the specialized clinical nursing skills checklist below to pick out your strongest nursing resume skills:ICU Nursing Skills ListAutomatic Internal Cardioverter Defib (AICD)Cardiogenic/Hypovolemic Shock patient careChest Tubes (Pleur-Evac)Hickman/Broviac/Groshong catheterIdentification and intervention during complications (CSG leak, clot, herniation, tension pneumothorax, aspiration, pulmonary edema, etc.)Nebulizer treatmentsPain managementRenal failure (acute/chronic) patient careSeizure precautionsVentricular Assist Device (RVAD/LVAD) patient careVisit ourICU Nurse ResumeWriting Guide for more examples of intensive care unit nursing skills and step-by- step instructions on how to write a resume.Certified Nursing Assistant Skills ListAssisting with using a bedpanChanging bed linenRadial pulseMeasuring and recording respirationCatheter careElectronic documentationFollowing care plansAdaptive equipment and safety devicesRecording vital signsMentoringCheck out ourCNA ResumeWriting Guide to see more examples of CNA nursing resume skills.Emergency Nursing Skills ListBurn patientsCare of drains/tubesCCUER Level 1 (Trauma)ICUPain managementSpecimen CollectionsTelemetry/StepdownTransport and set-upUse of hypothermia blanketTake a look at ourER Nurse ResumeWriting Guide for a comprehensive list of ER nursing resume skills.Med-Surg Nursing Skills ListAdministering and monitoring IV anticoagulantsGeneral medicine/surgery expertiseInserting IVs/IV therapyIV CertifiedMonitoring and assessing IOObtaining peripheral venous bloodPerforming complex dressing changesUsing PCA SystemUsing PICC, Hickman, Central LineUsing SCD or venodyne devicesOurMed- Surg Nurse ResumeWriting Guide will not only show you how to make a job winning resume but also offer a detailed Med-Surg nursing resume skills list.Pediatric Nursing Skills ListAdministering and monitoring 02 therapyAdministering blood and blood valuesAppearance/character of urine and stool assessmentAssessing the respiratory systemBowel sound assessmentCaring for child patients with MeningococcemiaChest tube managementImmunocompromised patient careKnowledge of Jehovah Witness patient protocolObtaining cultures for septic workup (e.g. blood, sputum, catheter tips)Go to ourPediatric Nurse ResumeWriting Guide to explore more examples of pediatric nursing skills for a resume.Labor and Delivery Nursing Skills ListApplication of external ECG/TOCO EFMAssisting with the insertion of IUPCConducting NST/BSSTEmergency C-section set upManagement of fetal demise/stillbornPitocin Titration for induction/augmentationProcedures for prolapsed cord, placenta previa, hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, e tc.In ourLabor and Delivery Nurse ResumeWriting Guide, you can see more examples of nursing skills for labor and delivery nurses.LPN Nursing Skills ListAcute and rehabilitative careAdmitting and dischargingCare plan assessmentCollaborationCommunicationGI feeding and tubesMeditech documentationPatient/family educationPICC Line carePre-death monitoringRead ourLPN ResumeWriting Guide for even more LPN nursing resume skills and a detailed guide on how to write an LPN resume.Looking for more information on practical nursing resume skills? Check out our nursing resume writing guides for different nursing specializations:Charge Nurse ResumeOR Nurse ResumeNurse Practitioner ResumeOnce youve decided which nursing skills are the ones youd like to show off on your resume, youll have to make sure they truly stand out.RememberTo a hiring manager, youre just a sheet of paper in a huge heap.The best way to get a job is to make sure your resume screams youre the best right in the recruiters face.Ho w to make sure your nursing skills are highlighted on your resume?Tailor your resume to the job description.Heres how:Start off with your current or last position. Follow it up with the previous ones.Make sure each entry lists your job title, dates, and the name of the hospital/company.Dont write full paragraphs. List your experience as bullet points (6-7 per job will do.)Dont just describe your duties. Learn to present them as youraccomplishments on your resume.To achieve maximum impact, start each bullet with aresume action verb.Try to quantify your experience and put numbers (or percentages) where possible.Before we move on, realize this:More and moreAmerican healthcare institutions rely on the so-called ATS(Applicant Tracking Systems) for recruitment purposes.Why?Because job offers attract hundreds of candidates, it's extremely hard for hiring managers to get to the resumes that actually meet the position requirements.If you dont want your application to go straight to thereject edfolder, you need to make sure you use the rightresume keywordsto describe your nursing skills for a resume.How to identify these keywords?Revisit the job offer and describe your experience and nursing resume skills using the phrases you find there.For example, your nursing assistant resume skills could be presented like this:Nursing Assistant Skills for a ResumeProvided patient care assignmentsas delegated by and under the direction of an RN.Respected and regarded the dignity of patients, families, visitors, and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible and courteous environment.Cooperated with 3+ department and unit teams inter- and intra-departmentallyto facilitate the department's and unit's ability to meet goals and objectives.This way, you can be sure the relevant keywords are included, and youve presented exactly the nursing skills the employer is searching.ButYou can do even more to give your nursing skills maximum exposure on a resume.Cherry-pick up to three o f your achievements you can quantify and you take pride in and put them in a separatekey achievementssubsection:Critical Care Nursing Skills for a ResumeConsistentlymet high standards of serviceby achievingan average of over 95% compliance rate.WonNurse of the Year Awardby scoring 93% in an internal patient experience surveyIf you single out your biggest wins like this, you can be sure your best intensive care unit nursing skills wont go unnoticed.FinallyPut your strongest nursing skills in a dedicated key skills section to draw the recruiters attention to your strongest side.The trick is not to populate the section with random nursing skills.Pick out the clinical nursing skills and techniques that you excel at. Plus, look back at your job description section to pick out the skills youd really like to show off.Pro Tip:Select up to 10 key nursing skills to put in your resumes key skills section. And go for the ones you have a very strong grasp of to avoidPresenters Paradox.And one mo re thing.You can also use the objective of a nurse resume to present your nursing skills.Heres what it could look like:Skills Summary for a Nursing ResumeCompassionateandadaptableRegistered Nurse with10+ years of experiencein high patient turnover hospital units. Eager to support the Hospital of St John the Baptist withsuperb organizational and ER nursing skills. In the previous rolemanaged a team of 5 ER nursesin an 18-bed Level-2 Emergency Room.The example above proves you can pepper your entire registered nurse resume with relevant nursing skills and sought-after character traits of a nurse.SoMake sure you put every square inch of your resume to good use and demonstrate your nursing expertise.Not sure how to go about writing your job-winning resume? Heres a guide to get you on the right track:How to Make a Resume for a Job: from Application to Interview in 24hOr maybe youre a nursing student struggling with getting their resume right? Dont worry and head straight to our guide:Nur sing Student Resume Template Guide for New GradsWhen making a resume in our builder, drag drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.Create my resume nowWhen youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.2Basic Nursing SkillsIt should come as no surprise:Nursing jobs require you to display a wide array of hard skills, ranging from the knowledge of clinical nursing skills and technical skills to varioussoft skills. Make sure to highlight your soft skills vs hard skills when applying for your next nursing job.Some of the most popular nursing clinical skills cover such areas as:Vital signs (e.g. assessing body temperature, peripheral pulse, apical pulse, or blood pressure)General health assessment (e.g. using a bed scale, assessing cardiovascular system, etc.)Patient safety (e.g. fall prevention, various kinds of restraints, etc.)Asepsis and Infection Control (e.g . preparing a sterile field)Medications (e.g. administering medications via tubes or injections, or subcutaneous infusion)Perioperative nursing (e.g. exercises, or recovery room care)As your nursing career progresses, youll come to focus on a particular set of technical nursing skills relevant to your specialization such as ICU nursing skills, or urology nursing skills.In fact, each nursing profession has its own dedicated nursing skills checklist.Undeniably,the bestnurses are true masters of their craft butThey also share certain skills and character traits youll hardly find on any list of skills required for nursing.Heres a list of 12 basic nursing skills:AdaptabilityAttention to detailAnalyticalCommunicationConfidenceCritical thinkingDecision-makingEmpathyEthicsLeadershipTime managementStaminaLets take a closer look at each of them:Communication Skills in NursingIn nursing jobs, more than anywhere else,effective communication skillsandactive listening skillsare vital.Most of the time youll be dealing with the peopleand patient's family members who arent at their best. Your patients could be grumpy, irritated, spiteful, uncooperative, worried, grieving, or in shock. You name it.And even though youll never fully know what you can expect of them, theyll always expect one thing of you, namely professionalism. And your professionalism will be judged by the way you communicate with others.Your nursing communication skills are part of a larger skill set, namelyinterpersonal skills. Keep developing them to become a master communicator.Critical Thinking Skills in NursingCritical thinking skillsalways come in handy in dynamic situations with lots of variables. Like deciding on the best course of treatment for your patients.Nurses must be able to think on their feet, weigh in pros and cons, and make informed choices with the patients life at the back of their minds. Critical thinking skills in nursing pertain to many different aspects of patient care. From administeri ng medications to making conclusions about the patients condition based on the readouts to administering CPR when necessary.Critical thinking skills consist of several interrelated abilities. You can develop your critical thinking skills in nursing by improving youranalytical skillsandconceptual skills.Time Management Skills in NursingIt goes without saying,time-management skillsin nursing are of the essence.In fact, onestudyidentifiedprioritizationas one of the most crucial factors shaping patient experiences.Ever-changing situations, issues calling for your immediate attention, large numbers of patients to take care of, and all this happening simultaneously. All these require you to be a master prioritizer, especially if you happen to be working in an emergency room.Its impossible tobilocate, but the ability to efficientlyallocateyour time will take you far. So make sure to keep working on yourorganizational skills.Empathy in NursingIt all starts with empathy.You do need to have s olid clinical nursing skills, but without empathy, you shouldnt be really considering nursing as a career. The best nurses can relate to the feelings and pain a patient is going through, and channel their compassion constructively, not letting the negative emotions bring them down.And truth be told, a compassionate nurse who cares is sometimes the only thing a patient needs to get better.Leadership Skills in NursingNursingleadership skillsare a crucial element of a nurses professional development.Just remember, leadership isnotabout your seniority level. Its about setting an example, inspiring people into action, building trust, andmaking others feel safe. This is why leadership and decision-making skills are important in nursing.EthicsStrong work ethic has become a bit of a buzzword in modern business.But the nursing profession is much more than business. Its a mission. And work ethic is one of the essential nursing skills. A strong belief that your hard work serves the greater goo d and its value transcends hospital walls is fundamental to being a great nurse.Attention to DetailNursing isnt for the faint of heart. Nor is it for the careless.Precision and attention to detail are the nursing skills that can mean the difference between a patients life or death. Simple as that.If youre unsure of your attentiveness, you cantry doing several thingsto improve your attention to detail.ConfidenceActing and talking in a confident manner is a sign that you know what youre doing. And its not only a crucialnursingskill. Its also reassuring to the patients, their family members, co-workers, and other medical personnel.Healthcare is not a solitary profession, you need to be sure youre cooperating with a team of professionals. If someone isnt sure of what theyre doing, the morale of the entire team might get undermined eventually. On the other hand, would you like to be catheterized by a nurse whose voice is faltering and hands are shaking?Take your time and practice yourper sonal leadership skillsto gain confidence and take your nursing skills to new heights.AdaptabilityWhen you consider all the skills needed for nursing, adaptability mustnt go unnoticed.In fact, adaptability should be every nurse's middle name. Why? If theres one thing that you could expect in your daily nursing work, it would bethe unexpected.In such circumstances, only the adaptable can thrive, which segues us into the last item on our nursing skills checklist:Pro Tip:AniCIMS studyidentified adaptability as the second most desired skill by the employers. Also, adaptability is one of the most crucialemployability skills.StaminaEven though stamina comes last on our essential nursing skills list, its far from being the least important nursing skill.Quite the opposite. Nursing work isbothmentally and physically strenuous, without enough stamina no nurse would be able to go through their working day.Want to find out what skills to put on a resume to boost your chances of landing a job? H eres a guide just for you:99 Key Skills for a ResumeBest List of Examples for All Types of JobsPlus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.Here's what it may look like:See more cover letter templates and start writing.3BONUS: Nursing Skills BooksHeres a list of recommended reads for all those who wish to grow professionally and develop their nursing skills:Essential Nursing Skills (Elsevier)Clinical Nursing Skills and TechniquesCritical Thinking in NursingTaylor's Clinical Nursing SkillsMosby's Nursing Video SkillsKey TakeawaysHeres a summary of all you need to know about nursing skills and how to describe them on your resume for nursing jobs:Nursing skills can be divided into two broad categories: clinical nursing skills and soft skills.The technical nursing skills are different for each nursing specialization.Goodnurses share certain common soft skills and character traits, such as compassion or adaptability.Its crucial to display the relevant nursing resume skills to go past the ATS scan and impress the recruiter.Do you have any questions about nursing skills? Maybe youd like to share some tips on how to develop them or show them on your resume. Give us a shout out in the comments below! Wed love to hear from you!