Writing a CNA resume

Most CNA resumes follow the same order of sections. The top line gives the applicant's name, phone number, email and city. A certification line with the state and registry status sits just below it. A two-sentence summary follows. Then come certifications, experience by setting, training with the clinical rotation, and skills.

Registry status and BLS (Basic Life Support) sit near the top because employers verify both before hiring. Federal law (OBRA-87) requires every state to keep a nurse aide registry. Federal rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) require nursing homes to check an applicant's status on it before hire. There is no federal registry, so each state's listing is checked on its own. CNAs can confirm their own entry through a state registry lookup before applying. Hiring staff also check the expiration date on the BLS card.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing care facilities employ the most CNAs. General medical and surgical hospitals employ the next largest group. Assisted living, home health care and staffing agencies employ smaller groups. Each setting has its own routines, so naming it helps an employer match the applicant to the opening.

Duties lines state what the CNA did, in concrete terms. Each line starts with an action verb and names a task. Where known, the line also gives the setting and the size of the unit or caseload.

Common duties lines cover bathing and grooming, toileting and incontinence care, and feeding. Other lines cover turning and transfers, taking vital signs and recording intake and output. Reporting changes in a resident's condition to the nurse is also a common line. A line such as "Assisted residents with bathing, dressing and meals" names the tasks. Adding the unit, such as "on a medical-surgical floor," shows the setting. The CNA can then add the number of patients or residents on the unit.

A job description lists what an employer expects from a new hire. A resume lists what the CNA actually did on shift. Lines copied from a posting read the same as other applicants' lines. Lines based on real shifts give the hiring manager specific details to compare.

The skills section groups care skills and soft skills under separate labels. Care skills include personal care, mobility and transfers, vital signs, documentation and infection control.

Personal care covers bathing, dressing, grooming and feeding, which fill much of a shift. Mobility skills include using a gait belt or a mechanical lift. These skills help prevent falls and injuries for both the patient and the CNA. Vital signs include temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure. Nurses use these readings to spot changes in a patient's condition. Documentation shows that the CNA records care correctly in the chart. Infection control includes hand washing and the use of gloves and gowns. These steps limit the spread of illness between residents.

Soft skills include observation and communication. CNAs are often the first to notice changes in a resident's skin, appetite or mood. They report these changes to the nurse. Residents who have dementia need calm, simple speech and patience. Applicants preparing for the state exam can practice each tested skill step by step.

New CNAs build the resume around their training. The training section names the state-approved program, the clinical rotation site and the hours completed. Federal rules require at least 75 training hours, including 16 hours of supervised practical training. Many states require more hours, so the resume lists the hours of the program the CNA finished.

The skills section lists the skills practiced in the lab and at the clinical site. Related work also belongs on the resume. Caring for a family member, home care jobs and customer service jobs all show experience with people. Available shifts go near the top, since many facilities staff day, evening and night shifts. New CNAs who have not yet tested can follow the steps to certification and a first job.