Nursing Skills for Resume: What Hospitals Actually Want

Nursing skills on your resume show hiring managers you can provide safe patient care, work in fast-paced environments, and collaborate with healthcare teams. Nursing skills encompass a wide range of abilities that enable nurses to provide high-quality patient care. Nurses need to possess a mix of technical and soft skills to practice safely and compassionately. The right skills can mean the difference between getting an interview — or getting passed over.

The best nursing skills for your resume include: patient assessment, medication administration, EMR documentation, vital signs monitoring, IV therapy, and patient education. Mix clinical hard skills with soft skills like communication and critical thinking. Possessing both hard skills and soft skills is crucial, as this balance—along with clinical expertise—helps you stand out to a hiring manager. Tailor your skills to the specific nursing position.

A comprehensive nursing skills list should reflect the demands of the modern healthcare environment.

🎯 Quick Check: Hospitals use ATS to filter resumes. Our free resume scanner shows you which nursing keywords you’re missing.

What Skills Should a Nurse Put on a Resume?

Nursing resumes need three types of skills:

Clinical/Hard Skills — IV insertion, wound care, medication administration. These are essential hard skills gained through education, certification, and on-the-job training, showing you can do the job safely.

Technical Skills — EMR systems, medical equipment, telehealth. Proves you’re current with technology.

Soft Skills — Communication, empathy, critical thinking. These soft skills can be harder to teach in formal education programs and are often acquired through experience, showing you work well with patients and teams.

Nurses must hone both soft and hard skills to provide quality patient care.

Recruiters scan for clinical skills first. But soft skills often determine who gets hired when candidates have similar experience. It’s important to showcase key skills and important skills throughout your resume to stand out to employers.

60+ Nursing Skills to Put on Your Resume

Patient Care Skills

1. Patient assessment
2. Physical assessment
3. Vital signs monitoring (BP, pulse, temp, respiration)
4. Medication administration
5. IV therapy and insertion
6. Blood draws and phlebotomy
7. Wound care and dressing changes
8. Catheter insertion and care
9. Feeding tube management
10. Tracheostomy care
11. Oxygen therapy
12. Patient hygiene assistance
13. Mobility assistance and transfers
14. Pain management
15. Infection control
16. Fall prevention
17. Attention to detail – Detail nurses play a crucial role in identifying early warning signs and ensuring patient safety through accurate documentation and vigilant patient monitoring.

Clinical Procedures

1. CPR/BLS/ACLS certification
2. EKG/ECG monitoring
3. Cardiac monitoring
4. Ventilator management
5. Central line care
6. Blood transfusion administration
7. Specimen collection
8. Pre-operative preparation
9. Post-operative care
10. Emergency response
11. Triage assessment
12. Diabetic care and glucose monitoring
13. Chemotherapy administration
14. Dialysis care
15. Labor and delivery support
16. IV therapy and insertion (IV skills; essential hard skills for nurses)

Documentation & Technology

1. Proficiency with healthcare technology (essential as hospitals increasingly adopt electronic medical record systems)
2. Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
3. Epic Systems
4. Cerner
5. Meditech
6. HIPAA compliance
7. Medical charting
8. Care plan development
9. Intake and output documentation
10. Incident reporting
11. Telehealth platforms

Communication Skills

1. Patient and family education: Educate both patients and their family members about diagnoses, medications, and at-home care instructions to ensure understanding and proper care.
2. Family communication
3. Interdisciplinary collaboration
4. Physician communication
5. Handoff reporting (SBAR)
6. Discharge instructions
7. Active listening
8. Cultural competency
9. Health literacy adaptation
10. De-escalation techniques

Critical Thinking & Leadership

1. Clinical decision-making (Critical thinking skills are essential for nurses to assess symptoms, analyze test results, and determine the best course of action. These skills enable nurses to rapidly evaluate patient situations and make informed decisions based on analysis and factual information.)
2. Prioritization
3. Time management
4. Problem-solving
5. Attention to detail
6. Adaptability (Adaptability is key in nursing, especially in fast-paced environments where circumstances can change quickly.)
7. Stress management
8. Team leadership
9. Charge nurse duties
10. Precepting new nurses
11. Quality improvement
12. Evidence-based practice

For a broader list of skills across all industries, see our guide on skills to put on your resume.

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Nursing Skills by Specialty

Medical-Surgical Nurse

• Post-operative care
• Wound care
• Pain management
• Multiple patient assignment management (managing multiple patients simultaneously and tracking patient progress to ensure continuity of care and accurate documentation)
• IV therapy
• Medication administration
• Patient education

Time management skills help nurses prioritize urgent needs while staying on schedule, which is essential when caring for multiple patients in a fast-paced environment.

ICU/Critical Care Nurse

• Ventilator management
• Hemodynamic monitoring
• ACLS certification
• Sedation management
• Central line care
• Rapid response
• Complex medication drips
• Clinical expertise in high-pressure situations (essential for critical care nurses)
• Critical thinking (vital for ICU nurses to assess situations and make informed decisions quickly)

Emergency Room Nurse

• Triage assessment: Utilized critical thinking skills to rapidly assess and prioritize patients based on the severity of their condition, ensuring timely and appropriate care. Monitored and documented changes in the patient’s condition to inform treatment decisions.
• Trauma care
• ACLS/PALS certification
• Fast-paced multitasking
• Emergency procedures: Applied critical thinking to quickly evaluate emergency situations and respond effectively to sudden changes in a patient’s condition, making educated decisions based on factual assessment.
• Crisis communication
• Diverse patient populations

Pediatric Nurse

• Pediatric assessment
• Growth and development knowledge
• Family-centered care (including patient and family education to ensure both patients and their families understand treatments, after-care, and health conditions)
• Pediatric medication dosing
• Child-friendly communication
• PALS certification

Labor & Delivery Nurse

• Fetal monitoring: Monitored fetal heart rate and contractions, collecting patient history to identify trends and inform treatment plans for early diagnosis and improved care.
• Labor support: Provided emotional and physical support during labor, using patient history to help develop personalized treatment plans.
• C-section assistance
• Newborn assessment
• Breastfeeding support
• High-risk pregnancy care
• NRP certification

Home Health Nurse

• Independent assessment
• Care coordination
• Patient/family education
• Documentation accuracy: Accurately record patient information, care provided, and changes in condition. As detail nurses, meticulous attention to documentation helps prevent medical mistakes and ensures all information is current, supporting patient safety.
• Time management
• Wound care
• Medication reconciliation

Resume Format and Content

A well-organized nursing resume is your first step toward landing your next nursing job. Hospitals and healthcare employers look for resumes that clearly showcase both your technical and soft skills, as well as your commitment to patient safety and quality patient care. Here’s how to structure your nursing resume for maximum impact:

• Summary/Objective Statement: Start with a concise summary or objective that highlights your experience as a registered nurse, your top nursing skills, and your career goals. Tailor this section to the job description, using keywords like patient care, communication skills, and electronic health records to show you’re a strong fit for the role.
• Education and Certifications: List your nursing education, licenses, and certifications in reverse chronological order. Include your nursing school, degree, and any specialized training such as basic life support (BLS), advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), or other life support acls. This section demonstrates your qualifications and commitment to ongoing nursing education.
• Clinical Experience: Use clear, action-oriented language to describe your hands-on experience. Focus on essential nursing skills such as monitoring vital signs, medication administration, infection control, and patient education. Highlight your ability to ensure patient safety and deliver quality patient care in various healthcare environments.
• Skills Section: Create a dedicated skills section to showcase both hard and soft skills. Include technical skills like electronic medical record (EMR) systems, computer skills, and pain management, as well as interpersonal skills such as communication, leadership skills, and teamwork. Be specific—mention skills like infection control, patient assessment, and attention to detail to make your nursing resume stand out.
• Achievements and Awards: Don’t forget to include any professional achievements or awards, such as “Nurse of the Year” or recognition for excellence in patient care. These accomplishments highlight your dedication to the nursing profession and your ability to contribute to better patient outcomes.

By following these guidelines and incorporating relevant keywords, you’ll create a nursing resume that not only passes applicant tracking systems but also impresses hiring managers. Always tailor your resume to each job posting, using language from the job description to describe your skills and experience. With a clear format and a focus on both technical and soft skills, you’ll be well on your way to a successful nursing career.

How to List Nursing Skills on Your Resume

Method 1: Dedicated Skills Section

Create a clean skills section near the top of your resume. This dedicated section acts as a concise nursing skills list, making it easy for hiring managers to quickly see your key competencies:

Example:

CLINICAL SKILLSPatient Assessment | IV Therapy | Medication Administration | Wound CareVital Signs Monitoring | Catheter Care | Blood Draws | Oxygen TherapyCERTIFICATIONSRN License (State) #123456 | BLS | ACLS | PALSTECHNOLOGYEpic Systems | Cerner | Telehealth Platforms | Microsoft Office

Method 2: Work Experience Bullets

Demonstrate skills through accomplishments:

Weak: “Responsible for patient care”

Strong: “Provided comprehensive care for 6-8 medical-surgical patients per shift, including medication administration, wound care, and IV therapy”

Strong: “Reduced medication errors by 40% through implementation of barcode scanning protocols”

Strong: “Educated 20+ patients weekly on discharge instructions, achieving 95% comprehension scores”

Skills for New Grad Nurses (No Experience)

If you’re a new graduate, focus on:

Highlighting your clinical rotations, internships, and any hands-on experience you gained during nursing school. On-the-job training is especially valuable for new grad nurses, as it helps develop essential hard skills through real clinical situations and direct patient care. Be sure to mention your adaptability, eagerness to learn, and ability to apply classroom knowledge in practical settings.

Clinical Rotations

• “Completed 120 hours in ICU clinical rotation, developing clinical expertise essential for nursing skills on a resume”
• “Administered medications to 50+ patients under supervision”
• “Performed patient assessments across medical-surgical, pediatric, and ER settings”

Certifications

• BLS/ACLS/PALS
• Any specialty certifications
• EMR training (Epic, Cerner)

Transferable Skills

• Customer service experience → Patient communication
• Team leadership → Charge nurse potential
• Attention to detail → Medication safety
• Professionalism nurses → Ethical behavior and commitment to patient dignity and safety

For new grads entering the workforce, demonstrating professionalism nurses is essential. This includes upholding ethical standards, showing moral integrity, and prioritizing patient dignity and safety in all interactions.

For more tips, see our guide on writing a resume with no experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Listing skills you can’t perform independently — Only include skills you’re competent in.

❌ Forgetting certifications and licenses — Always include your nursing license number and state.

❌ Being too vague — “Patient care” means nothing. Be specific: “patient assessment,” “IV therapy,” “wound care.”

❌ Ignoring the job posting — If they want “ventilator experience,” make sure those words appear on your resume. Use our resume keywords guide to learn more.

❌ Overloading soft skills — Clinical skills should dominate. Add 3-4 soft skills maximum. Remember, nurses are responsible for patient care and must be detail-oriented to avoid medical mistakes and ensure accurate documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nursing skills encompass a wide range of abilities that enable nurses to provide high-quality patient care and collaborate with healthcare teams.

What are the top 5 nursing skills employers want?

1. Patient assessment
2. Medication administration
3. EMR documentation (Epic, Cerner)
4. Communication/patient education
5. Critical thinking

Clinical expertise is a key skill that employers value, as it demonstrates your ability to deliver safe and effective care. Be sure to showcase key skills like these throughout your resume, not just in a list, but also in your summary and work experience sections to highlight your applied expertise.

These appear in nearly every nursing job posting.

How many skills should a nurse list on a resume?

List 10-15 clinical skills in your skills section. Include both hard skills (such as technical and clinical abilities) and soft skills (like communication and empathy). Then demonstrate 3-5 of your strongest skills with specific examples in your work experience.

Should I include BLS on my nursing resume?

Yes, always. BLS is required for nursing positions. Also include ACLS, PALS, or specialty certifications if you have them.

What skills should a CNA put on a resume?

CNAs should highlight: vital signs, patient hygiene, mobility assistance, intake/output documentation, infection control, patient communication, and any EMR experience.

How do I list Epic on my nursing resume?

Include it in your technology/skills section: “Epic Systems (proficient).” In your experience, mention: “Documented patient care in Epic EMR with 99% chart completion.”

Make Sure Your Nursing Resume Gets Noticed

Hospitals use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter resumes before a human sees them. Missing the right keywords means your resume goes straight to the rejection pile.

To get noticed, tailor your resume to the evolving healthcare environment by highlighting adaptability to new technologies and procedures. Demonstrate your value as a healthcare professional by showcasing your expertise, confidence, and ability to thrive in a dynamic setting.

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✍️ About the Author

Alex Rivers is a resume coach and career advisor who has reviewed over 5,000 resumes and helped job seekers land roles at companies like Google, Amazon, and McKinsey. After years of seeing the same mistakes cost qualified candidates interviews, Alex built ratemy.cv to give everyone access to instant, actionable resume feedback — for free.

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✅ Which clinical skills are missing
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✅ How to strengthen your experience bullets

Works for RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and nursing students.

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Looking for complete resume examples? Check out our medical assistant resume examples for similar healthcare roles