Crucial Nursing Skills for Your Resume

Nurses are in high demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for RNs are expected to increase 6% yearly through 2032. This equates to around 193,100 job openings each year for nearly a decade. Despite this faster than average job growth, you will need the right qualifications and a great resume to land the job you really want. 

Why include nursing skills on your resume? 

A professional resume is a concise document — usually one to two pages maximum — that is used by human resources professionals to quickly determine whether or not a candidate is qualified for a position and should be granted an interview. Space on a resume is extremely limited and should be used to highlight your ability to perform the tasks that will be expected of you on the job. 

Proving that you have what it takes to succeed in nursing is not an easy task when given only one or two pages to express yourself. Your education and certifications are important for showing hiring managers that you are qualified for the job, but nursing skills can provide a more accurate picture of who you are as a person and how you would fit into their team, thus creating a much stronger resume.  

Education & Licensure

When applying for registered nursing jobs, your education and experience should be placed front and center. You need to list the type of degree you earned, whether an ADN or BSN, as well as the accredited school that granted your degree. 

If you have already passed the NCLEX-RN, include your RN license and the license number on your resume. If you have not yet taken or passed the NCLEX, you will want to include “Eligible for NCLEX-RN” (or a similar statement) along with the test date if you know when it will occur. 

Certifications

Do you have specialized certifications that prove your expertise in a particular procedure or that show you would bring something extra to the nursing team? Make sure you list them, but only list the certifications relevant to the position for which you are applying. 

Nursing Skills

Nursing is a skills-based career. Nurses are expected to master various clinical tasks, or hard skills, as well as soft skills such as: resilience, teamwork, professionalism and more. Both hard and soft skills have a place on your resume when presented correctly. And both can help you not only get the interview, but ultimately land the job you want. 

Hard Skills

Don’t waste time listing every basic nursing skill you’ve learned throughout your education and career. List only skills that make you stand out or differentiate you from others. Listing too many basic skills will take up valuable space on your resume and may prevent managers from seeing the important skills that can set you apart. 

Here are a few in-demand hard skills that can really impress employers: 

• Emergency or critical care expertise
• Electronic Health Record Systems experience 
• Computer Skills including health apps you use 
• Wound Care experience
• Telemetry experience
• Pain management expertise 
• IV insertion including central line experience 

Soft Skills

Don’t underestimate the power of soft skills on a resume, especially in a nursing career. Your soft skills can be used to display your ability to work with patients, families and coworkers, and they are an extremely important part of any successful nursing career. 

Words and phrases such as compassionate caregiver, effective communicator, and inclusive team player are commonly found on nursing resumes. While you do want to include these common soft skills, you also want to think about additional skills that can set you apart and show potential employers who you really are as a person. 

Consider including skills such as: 

• Teaching experience - List any CPR certification, first aid classes, community health seminars, or courses you’ve taught. 
• Proficiency with foreign language - Healthcare organizations are often in need of translators to be able to provide appropriate care and proficiency in another language is a sought-after skill. 
• Self-Starter and Critical Thinker - Nurses who can think critically about what needs to be done and take initiative are valuable contributors in the workplace. 
• Grit and Resilience - The nursing work environment is constantly changing and this can be difficult at times. Employers want to know that you have the mental and emotional strength to see the job through. 
• Innovative Quick Learner - Healthcare is ever-evolving and organizations want nurses who are willing to innovate and learn new ways to improve care and health systems. 
• Professionalism - Employers need to know that you can incorporate professional values, maintain high standards, honor confidential information, and be a trusted employee. 

The hard and soft skills you’ve developed throughout your life and career are an important part of what makes you who you are and what will make you an amazing nurse. Ensure they have a prominent place on your resume so potential employers can truly see your value. 

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