CNA Resume Examples (Certified Nursing Assistant)
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) provides basic care and helps patients with activities of daily living: cleaning and bathing patients, helping them use the toilet and dress, turning, repositioning and transferring them between beds and wheelchairs, and measuring vital signs such as blood pressure and temperature. A nursing assistant resume should prove skills such as bathing, feeding and toileting care, patient transfer and repositioning, and vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure) with numbers from your own work. Below are three samples, entry-level to senior, with summaries, bullets and skills.
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CNA resume examples by experience level
All three samples are illustrative: the people, employers and every figure are made up.
Entry-level sample
Alicia Dempsey
Nursing assistant (new) · state-approved CNA program · clinical hours in long-term care · bilingual English and Spanish
Tampa, FL · (813) 555-0126 · alicia.dempsey@example.com
Objective
- Newly certified nursing assistant seeking a CNA position in a nursing care facility or hospital, after supervised clinical training caring for 8 to 10 residents a shift.
Education and certification
- Nursing Assistant program (state-approved), Hillsborough Community Training Center, Tampa, FL · 2026
- Passed the state competency exam; listed on the state nurse aide registry · 2026
- High school diploma, Plant High School, Tampa, FL · 2024
Clinical training
- Student Nursing Assistant, long-term care unit, Bayview Care Center, Tampa, FL · 3 weeks supervised clinical · assisted with bathing, feeding and turning for 8 to 10 residents a shift; recorded vitals for 15 residents on morning rounds; no charting errors flagged by the supervising nurse
Skills
- Bathing and dressing assistance, patient transfers, vital signs, intake and output charting, bed-making, infection control and hand hygiene, bedside communication in English and Spanish
Mid-level sample
Denise Dunleavy
Certified Nursing Assistant · 5 years · skilled nursing facility · 12 residents a shift · elderly care
Columbus, OH · (614) 555-0171 · denise.dunleavy@example.com
Summary
- Certified nursing assistant with five years in a 120-bed skilled nursing facility and two years of home care for bedridden elderly clients. Care for 12 residents a shift, record vitals every 4 hours and kept the repositioning schedule on time for 95% of rounds.
Experience
- Certified Nursing Assistant, Maple Grove Skilled Nursing, Columbus, OH · 2023 – present · 12 residents a shift; vitals rounds every 4 hours; repositioning schedule met on 95% of rounds; shift report to licensed nurses on 3 shifts.
- Home Care Aide, Buckeye Home Care Agency, Columbus, OH · 2021 – 2023 · Cared for 3 bedridden elderly clients in turn; assisted with feeding and transfers under a nurse's care plan.
Education and certification
- State-approved nursing assistant program · 2021
- Active on the state nurse aide registry
- High school diploma · 2020
Skills
- Bathing and transfers, vital signs, pressure-injury prevention, catheter bag emptying, feeding support, infection control, intake and output records, safety rails and fall prevention
Senior sample
Patricia Owens
Lead CNA, Unit Trainer · 12 years · 10 aides · 60-bed wing · new-hire orientation
Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 555-0134 · patricia.owens@example.com
Summary
- Senior nursing assistant with twelve years in hospitals and long-term care, now leading 10 aides on a 60-bed wing. Prepare the daily assignment sheet, check linen and supply stock, orient new hires and cut resident falls from 9 to 3 a year with a bedside rounding routine.
Experience
- Lead CNA, Riverside Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA · 2020 – present · Lead 10 aides on a 60-bed wing; daily assignments; resident falls 9 to 3 a year; oriented 25 new hires.
- Certified Nursing Assistant, Allegheny Care and Rehabilitation, Pittsburgh, PA · 2014 – 2020 · Cared for 15 residents a shift.
Education and certification
- High school diploma · 2012
- State-approved nursing assistant program · 2014; active on the state nurse aide registry
- CPR certification, if held: list the issuing body and expiry year
Skills
- Resident care, patient transfers, vital signs, infection control, new-hire orientation, scheduling, documentation, family communication
Start your nursing assistant resume
Related resume examples
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- Caregiver resume
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- Phlebotomist resume
- Pharmacy Technician resume
- Physical Therapist Assistant resume
- LPN resume
What does a nursing assistant do?
In the US most nursing assistants work in nursing care facilities, hospitals and continuing care retirement communities, on their feet for much of the shift, and may work nights, weekends and holidays. A good CNA resume names your state-approved training, your registry status, the setting and your patients per shift.
Nursing Assistant job description for a resume
- Clean and bathe patients, and help them use the toilet and dress.
- Turn, reposition and transfer patients between beds and wheelchairs.
- Measure and record vital signs such as blood pressure and temperature.
- Feed patients or help them eat and drink, and record food and liquid intake and output.
- Answer patient call signals to find out what each patient needs.
- Report changes in a patient's condition to nursing staff.
- Provide physical support so patients can do daily living activities such as walking or exercising.
Nursing Assistant resume format and template
- Say the setting, bed count and residents or patients per shift.
- Put your registry status and state near the top, with the program name and year.
- Use one page with a skills section of 8 to 10 items; a CNA skills list works best when it matches the posting's wording.
- Add a line for shift availability; nights, weekends and holidays are common in the work (BLS).
The section order and what goes in each are on the how to write a resume guide; the resume format guide covers every format by type and country.
Summary examples by level
- Entry-level: Newly certified nursing assistant from a state-approved program, with 3 weeks of supervised clinical care for 8 to 10 residents a shift and bilingual English and Spanish.
- Mid-level: Certified nursing assistant with 5 years in a skilled nursing facility, caring for 12 residents a shift and keeping the repositioning schedule on time for 95% of rounds.
- Senior: Lead CNA of 10 aides on a 60-bed wing who cut resident falls from 9 to 3 a year.
Work experience bullet points
- Cared for 12 residents a shift in a skilled nursing facility.
- Recorded vital signs every 4 hours for 15 residents on morning rounds.
- Kept the repositioning schedule on time for 95% of rounds to prevent pressure injuries.
- Cut resident falls from 9 to 3 a year with a bedside rounding routine.
- Provided home care for 3 bedridden elderly clients over two years.
- Oriented 25 new hires in patient transfers and hand hygiene.
- Led 10 aides on a 60-bed wing with a daily assignment sheet.
Nursing Assistant resume skills
Hard skills: Bathing, feeding and toileting care, Patient transfer and repositioning, Vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure), Intake and output charting, Bed-making and linen change, Catheter bag and ostomy care support, Infection control and hand hygiene, CPR (if certified), Patient transport, Reporting changes to the nurse.
Soft skills: Gentle with sick and elderly patients, Patience with confused patients, Staying calm in an emergency, Respect for privacy, Working nights, weekends and holidays.
Education and certifications
- Nursing assistants often need to complete a state-approved education program with instruction on the principles of nursing and supervised clinical work (BLS). List the program, school and year.
- After the program, candidates pass a competency exam, which lets them use state-specific titles, and are placed on the state registry; they must be on the registry to work in a nursing home (BLS). Write your registry status and state on your CNA resume.
- Programs are offered by high schools, community colleges, vocational schools, hospitals and nursing homes (BLS). Add CPR or other certificates only if you hold them and the job posting asks.
Sources
Checked on 5 October 2026.
FAQ
Nursing Assistant resume questions, answered.
Still unsure? Send us a message — a real person replies.
What are CNA skills for a resume?
List bathing and dressing help, patient transfers and repositioning, vital signs, intake and output charting, infection control and reporting changes to the nurse. Add soft skills such as patience and calm under pressure, and prove two or three of them with numbers in your experience lines.
How do I write a CNA description for a resume?
Turn each duty into a short line with a number: cleaning and bathing patients, helping them use the toilet and dress, repositioning and transferring them, and measuring vital signs. BLS lists these as the core work, so add your patients per shift and the setting.
What should a CNA resume objective say?
Keep it to two lines: that you are a certified nursing assistant, the setting you want and one proof point. For example, newly certified from a state-approved program with supervised clinical care for 8 to 10 residents a shift. Use a summary instead once you have experience.
Do I need a certification for a nursing assistant resume?
Nursing assistants typically complete a state-approved program and pass a competency exam to use state titles, and they must be on the state registry to work in a nursing home (BLS). Write your registry status and state clearly, and check each employer's requirements.
Should I use a CNA resume template?
Yes, a simple one-column CNA resume template with plain headings is best. Applicant tracking systems read it cleanly, and a hiring nurse can find your certification, setting and patients per shift in seconds. Avoid photos, skill bars and graphics.
What is the difference between a nursing assistant and a nurse on a resume?
A nurse resume lists a nursing degree or license and clinical procedures such as medications. A nursing assistant resume lists basic care, vital signs and registry status. Never call yourself a nurse, and say tasks beyond basic care were done under nurse supervision.
How do I write a certified nursing assistant resume with no experience?
Lead with your certification and state, clinical hours from the program, and the patient load you handled, such as 8 to 10 residents a shift. Add BLS (Basic Life Support) certification, any caregiving or volunteer work and your shift availability. CNA resume examples with no experience read best at one page with the certificate and registry status on the second line.
What is different about a patient care technician resume?
A patient care technician resume adds skills beyond basic nursing assistant work: EKG, phlebotomy, catheter care and charting in the hospital system, with the certification for each. Name the unit, the patient ratio and the equipment you use. Nursing assistant resume examples can be reused for the care tasks and updated with these skills.