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“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.”
– Val Saintsbury

Nursing assistants play a vital role in treating patients and ensuring their well being worldwide.

More than 1,314,830 nursing assistants are currently working in the United States at an average annual salary of $33,250.

As a certified nursing assistant, you will have to take care of patients and provide care with utmost patience and compassion.

You will need to divert some of these factors in your resume writing to bring forth your best for the recruiters to recognize you as a valuable applicant and raise your chances of being shortlisted for the targeted job.

Here we are elaborating on how to write a CNA resume professionally by answering the following questions:

• Why do you need a certified nursing assistant resume?
• How to write your certified nursing assistant resume?
• How to write professional experience on a certified nursing assistant resume?
• How to mention certifications, awards & recognitions, and additional information?

CNA Resume Sample

Take a look at our complete certified nursing assistant resume sample to know what an ideal resume should look like:

What is a CNA Resume & why do you need it?

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In most cases, your resume for CNA is the first mode of contact between you and the recruiters.

Most recruiters pick the most suitable applicant by using the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) as it is convenient and saves their time.

The ATS filters through the resumes and picks only those resumes containing the recruiters' keywords to describe the targeted job profile.

Your aim here is to write an ATS-friendly resume by using appropriate keywords relevant to the specific job you are applying for.

Also Read: What are the Do's & Dont's while writing a resume?

CNA Resume Sections

Always frame every section in your certified nursing assistant resume with a professional approach to make your resume outshine all other applicants.

Here is the list of all the standard functional resume sections that you can add to your CNA resume:

• Header
• Personal Information
• Profile Title
• Summary/Objective
• Key Skills
• Professional Experience
• Education

you can also frame the following sections to add value to your resume and grab the recruiter's undivided attention:

• Certifications (if any)
• Awards & Recognition (if any)
• Volunteering Experience (if any)
• Additional Information (if any)

How to write your CNA Resume

To write an effective shortlist worthy resume, you need to follow the three important stages listed below:

• Stage 1: Master CNA Resume
• Stage 2: First Draft of CNA Resume
• Stage 3: Final Draft of CNA Resume

Now, let us discuss these three stages to understand their importance and learn how to apply them while writing your certified nursing assistant resume.

Master CNA Resume

Start by creating the master resume for CNA, which you can use as a master folder for collecting all your details.

This folder will work as the master resume that you can use every time you update your certified nursing assistant resume or build a new copy.

List out all your pieces of information and details in your master resume. It can be any detail related to your professional experience, educational qualifications, and personal information details.

You have to stack all your details and information in your master folder to easily find them whenever you write or update your nursing assistant resume.

Doing so can save your time and help you avoid gathering scattered pieces of information.

First Draft of CNA Resume

In the second stage, you have to create your first draft of your resume by framing the following sections:

• Header
• Personal Information
• Profile Title
• Professional Experience
• Education
• Certifications (if any)
• Awards & Recognition (if any)
• Additional Information (if any)

Always remember that the standard sections are compulsory to be framed, and the optional sections can be framed if required for the targeted job or if you feel it is necessary to help enhance your resume.

Final Draft of CNA Resume

In the final draft of your certified nursing resume, you should frame the following sections mentioned below:

• Key Skills: Curate your CNA resume skills section as the last second step while writing your resume because you have to scan through your resume, pick the most effective skills, and align them in this section.

• Summary/Objective: Curate this section as the last step while writing your CNA resume, as you have to give a brief statement of your resume by highlighting your achievements and contribution.

Make sure to read our 2020 Guide on how to write a resume to learn more about resume writing.

CNA Resume: Header

Your resume's header can make you stand out in a sea of resumes if you frame it thoughtfully and professionally.

People often tend to ignore the importance of the header, but you should keep in mind that framing the right and unique header can help the recruiters keep track of your resume.

Read the following points to be implied while framing the resume header of your nursing assistant resume:

• You should write your full real name on the topmost part of your resume.
• It should be written in 16-20 font size, which should be the largest text in your resume.
• If you have a middle name, use only the initial followed by a period.
• Example: Ross James Green should be written as "Ross J. Green"

Below is our sample CNA resume illustrating the ideal resume header for your resume.

CNA Resume: Personal Information

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For any possible shortlist, the recruiters would need a mode of contact to get to you, and for that, you should provide some details of your personal information.

Given below is the list of what an ideal personal information section should contain:

• Contact number
• Email Address
• Location

Pro Tip: Avoid giving details of your marital status, religious affiliation, or political inclination in your resume unless explicitly asked. Most countries have forbidden it by law to mention these things as it may lead to biased hiring.

Contact Number

Some recruiters may want to interview you over the phone or want to get your confirmation for scheduling interviews verbally.

For such cases, you should provide your active number that is functional 24x7 so that you do not miss any calls from the recruiters.

Also, avoid making careless mistakes while giving out your contact number, like missing out a number or giving out the wrong number, which can be very inconvenient.

The correct format for writing your mobile number is documented below:

• Use your country’s ISD code as a prefix before your phone number
• Put a plus sign (+) before the ISD code
• Eg: +1 42695 82170

Pro Tip: If you have 2 or more mobile numbers, make sure that you accurately mention only that mobile number on which you are available 24x7. If the recruiter cannot get in touch with you, there is no point in penning down your contact number in your details. Hence, be extra sure that you write it correctly in your resume.

Email Address

Emails can be considered the most convenient means of communication between you and the recruiters as it is professional and saves time.

Provide your email ID that has been created solely for official purposes.

Your official email should have your real name. (Create one if you do not have an official email ID)

Example:ross@xyz.com or rossgreen@xyz.com

Strictly avoid giving out casual email IDs with a fancy name because it can make you seem like an applicant who is not serious about one's career.

Example: champross@xyz.com or rossthechamp@xyz.com

Pro Tip: Since your email ID is a professional communication channel between you and your recruiter, you should write it professionally. For example, use your real full name/first name in your email ID. Avoid using fictitious nicknames while drafting your email address in your resume.

Current Location

Keep the following points in mind and apply them while giving out your current location on your resume:

• If you are looking for a job in your own country, simply mention the city and state of your residence. On the contrary, mention your city and country of residence if you are looking for a job in another country.
• Avoid giving out your house number, street number, and locality name, as those details are unnecessary. You should also avoid giving out any address of your past residence or workplace.

Take a look at our sample CNA resume below to understand what a personal information section should ideally look like.

CNA Resume: Profile Title

Profile titles are important in your certified nursing assistant resume as it directly reflects the level of your professional status.

It communicates the following facts to the recruiter:

• Your current designation.
• Your functional industry.
• Your level of seniority in your line of work.

You should follow the below-mentioned guidelines to write your resume profile title:

• It should be the second-largest text in your resume after your resume header
• It should ideally be written in the range of 14-16 font size

Write only the correct profile title and avoid exaggerating your profile title. It will pass off as intentionally cheating the recruiter, and you may lose your chance of achieving the targeted job.

Refer to the profile title section of our CNA resume template given below to know what this section ideally looks like.

CNA Resume: Professional Experience

Your professional experience section is an important feature in your nursing assistant resume that takes a major portion, and you need to curate it thoughtfully.

Make the best use of this section to make the recruiters recognize you as the most suitable applicant for the targeted job.

Listed below are the three important factors that can help enhance your professional experience section:

• STAR format
• Framing Points
• Bucketing & Bolding

Now, let us discuss these three factors thoroughly to help you understand their importance and learn how you can implement it.

STAR Format

Let us discuss the best format for your certified nursing assistant resume.

STAR describes the following given points:

• S is for describing the situation/backdrop/context of your contributions.
• T is for describing the actual task assigned to you as part of your roles and responsibilities.
• A is for describing the action or the strategy you used to execute the task assigned.
• R is for describing the result or outcome of your action as an achievement figure.

Provide figures of the number to specify your contributions and achievements wherever applicable, as it can help the recruiters to recognize your exact contributions to an organization.

Framing Points

Another important feature that can help enhance your resume is framing your points.

Let us look at the CNA resume examples given below to analyze and briefly discuss the importance of framing points and how they can be applied in your resume writing.

CNA Resume Example 1

"During my employment as a certified nursing assistant in my previous organization, I was required to comply with the HIPAA standards to gather and manage every patient's documentation accurately. Successfully performed key duties with co-workers to minimize the supervisor's involvement and reported key information and any missing items of the residents to the immediate supervisor. Regularly assisted the supervisor for any Resident Safety Training Program and sustained the department operations."

CNA Resume Example 2

• Complied to the HIPAA standards to accurately gather & manage documentation of patient
• Performed key duties with co-workers to minimize the supervisor's involvement
• Reported key information & any missing items of the residents to the immediate supervisor
• Assisted the supervisor for Resident Safety Training Program & sustain department operations

Framing Points: Analysis

By comparing the two CNA resume examples, we can see that the resume points (example 2) are more readable than the paragraph (example 1).

Both examples state the same thing, but framing points make your statements more readable and clear.

Writing lengthy paragraphs can make your statements bulky and might fail to communicate your efficient skills and achievements to the recruiters, leading to the rejection of your resume.

Hence, you should always frame your statements with bullet points to make them specific and clear to read and understand.

Bucketing & Bolding

Bucketing and bolding are other important factors to apply while framing your professional section.

Let us look at the two CNA resume examples given below to analyze and understand how you can implement them.

CNA Resume Example 1

• Complied to the HIPAA standards to accurately gather & manage documentation of patient
• Performed key duties with co-workers to minimize the supervisor's involvement
• Reported key information & any missing items of the residents to the immediate supervisor
• Assisted the supervisor for Resident Safety Training Program & sustain department operations
• Individualized care plans to prioritize the needs & preferences of the residents
• Maintained feeding, grooming, proper hygiene & other needs of every individual
• Resolved queries & requests raised by family and peers of the 80+ residents
• Employed safe work practices & trained 5 newly recruited nursing assistants
• Adhered to department policies by documenting records of the provided nursing service
• Awarded as "Star Employee of the Month" for deploying risk management programs & practices

CNA Resume Example 2

**Nursing Care & Process Optimization **

• Complied to the HIPAA standards to accurately gather & manage documentation of patient
• Performed key duties with co-workers to minimize the supervisor's involvement

Safety Training Program & Operations Sustenance

• Reported key information & any missing items of the residents to the immediate supervisor
• Assisted the supervisor for Resident Safety Training Program & sustain department operations

Individualized Care & Customer Service

• Individualized care plans to prioritize the needs & preferences of the residents
• Maintained feeding, grooming, proper hygiene & other needs of every individual
• Resolved queries & requests raised by family and peers of the 80+ residents

Compliance & Mentoring

• Employed safe work practices & trained 5 newly recruited nursing assistants
• Adhered to department policies by documenting records of the provided nursing service

Key Achievement

• Awarded as "Star Employee of the Month" for deploying risk management programs & practices

Bucketing & Bolding: Analysis

The CNA resume examples that we have listed above give us the following insights:

Framing your points alone (example 1) is not enough to hold on to the recruiters' attention throughout your entire resume.

You need to up your game by using the bucketing and bolding, as shown in the second example (example 2).

Create unique headings (bucketing) and write down all the similar points under them to ensure that all the relevant points are listed together.

Then bold the most significant skills and figure of numbers that specifies your contributions or achievements.

Bucketing and bolding make your one-liners readable and organized, making it easier for the recruiters to read and comprehend the resume that can lead to you being shortlisted for the targeted job.

Here is a sample CNA resume showcasing an ideal professional experience section.

CNA Resume: Education

Providing your educational qualifications can demonstrate your worth as an eligible applicant for a specific job profile.

Make sure to validate your educational qualifications only if you possess them.

The education section of your nursing assistant resume should ideally consist of:

• Name of the school/university you have attended.
• Name of the courses you have pursued.
• The location of your school/university.
• Enrollment and graduation dates in the month & year format.

Here is our certified nursing assistant resume example showcasing the ideal education section of your resume.

CNA Resume: Certifications

Listing your certification(s) on your certified nursing resume can add value to your professional experience and educational qualification. A perfectly framed certifications section will make the recruiters recognize the level of expertise as a nursing assistant.

It makes you stand out as a dedicated applicant who went ahead to get certified for practicing one's job as a certified nursing assistant.

The certification section of your nursing assistant resume communicates the following details about you:

• Certification course name.
• Name of the institute of affiliation.
• Location of the institute of affiliation.
• Enrollment and completion date of the course in the month & year format.

You can align the above-given points in the below format:

{Name of certification} | {Affiliating Institution} | {Location} | {Date} (month & year format)

Look at the ideal certifications section of our CNA resume template to help you list this section with a professional approach.

Also Read: What are the most demanding CNA skills in the United States?

CNA Resume: Awards & Recognition

If you have been rewarded as "the best employee of the month" or "outstanding performer of the year", make sure to provide them in your resume as it can positively impact your job application.

You can create an "Awards & Recognition" section in your resume and list your recognitions and rewards.

You can also list it under the "key achievements" bucket within each profile of your professional experience section.

CNA Resume: Additional Information

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Here is another important section in your resume that can help in making the recruiters take into account while scrutinizing your resume.

In this section, you can add any additional languages you can speak or write (apart from English) and any relevant hobbies that may help enhance your resume.

This section is not mandatory, but you can frame this section if you feel that some of your additional information can help boost your value as a suitable applicant.

The CNA resume sample attached below shows what a perfectly composed additional information section should look like.

CNA Resume Key Sections

These are some resume sections that must be crafted after writing other details. The key resume sections include resume summary/objective and resume skills.

Let us get detailed information about these sections:

CNA Resume: Key Skills

Your CNA resume skills section can help you intrigue the recruiters into going through your resume and raise your chance of being shortlisted for the targeted job.

The plus point is that this section can also help you rank high on the ATS if you pick and write down the most effective keywords.

Curate your CNA resume skills section in the last second resume writing step.

Scan through your resume, pick out the most effective skills you possess, and try to use as many keywords as the recruiters use to describe the job profile you are applying for.

Always use only the keywords that have been justified in your one-liners while framing your CNA resume skills section.

Our nursing assistant resume sample showcases the ideal CNA resume skills section.

CNA Resume Summary

On average, the recruiters may spend between 06-10 mere seconds to go through a resume for the first screening.

Now, apart from your key CNA resume skills section, your summary can make the recruiters recognize if you are suitable enough for the targeted job.

Make every second count by framing the perfect summary of your resume by highlighting the most significant skills you possess and your contributions and achievements.

Given below is a list of what you should follow while writing your CNA resume summary:

• Write your summary at the end as it makes it easier to decide what to put in this section.
• You can start your summary by writing your years of experience and then writing your career highlights from your professional experience section.
• Always try to include the keywords that the recruiter has used in the targeted job description.
• Frame a summary of your resume in only 3-4 lines to keep it brief and specific.
• Write a resume summary only if you have worked for 3 years and above.
• If you have worked for less than 3 years, write a resume objective instead.

Attached below is the ideal resume summary of our CNA resume template, showcasing how this section is ideally framed.

CNA Resume Objective

Writing your CNA resume objective is as important as writing a CNA resume summary.

An objective should be framed instead of a summary if you belong to any of the following categories:

• If you have no work experience.
• If you have very limited work experience of less than 3 years.
• If you are a fresh graduate writing an entry-level resume.

Objectives can help you make up for your career gaps by focusing on the productive activities that you indulged yourself in.

It is more about what you can contribute to an organization and not what you expect from the organization.

Key Takeaways

Building a CNA resume can take a lot of time without expert guidance. You can follow these guidelines to write a professional CNA resume in 2022 and get your targeted job:

• Make a master CNA resume before creating the first draft for a hassle-free resume building experience
• Write points addressing cause-effect relation in your certified nursing resume.
• Start every one-liner bullet in your professional experience section with a power verb.
• Frame your points and apply bucketing & bolding to highlight your most significant skills and achievements while framing your points.
• Write a summary of your resume for your 3 years and above work experience and a CNA resume objective for 3 years with less or zero experience.
• Provide figures of numbers wherever applicable to specify your contribution and achievements.
• Use the month and year format to provide your education and work experience timeline.

These steps will help you smoothen your resume building task. However, you can also ease the process using Hiration's Online Resume Builder.

It is an Artificial Intelligence-powered tool that comes with 24/7 chat support to deliver you an easy user experience. Moreover, you can also discuss your queries with our experts at support@hiration.com