Certified nursing assistant (CNA) resume example

What recruiters look for

• Active state certification: your listing on the state nurse aide registry is the first thing checked. Name the state.
• Your assignment size: residents or patients per shift, and the type of unit (long-term care, rehab, memory care, hospital).
• Safety habits: safe lifts, fall prevention, skin care. These protect residents and the facility.
• Observation and reporting: noticing a change in condition and telling the nurse. It is the part of the job nurses value most.
• Dependability: shifts covered, attendance, staying with one employer. Turnover is high and reliability stands out.

Writing the summary

Say you are a certified nursing assistant, how long you have worked, in what setting and how many residents you care for. Add one line that shows how you work, such as noticing changes or training new aides.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

• Answered call lights within 5 minutes on average across a 12-resident assignment, the fastest on the unit in a quarterly audit.
• Picked up 60 extra shifts in a year to cover short staffing without a single missed shift of my own.
• Helped cut falls on my hall by a third by setting up hourly rounding and keeping call lights and walkers within reach.
• Cared for 8 residents with advanced dementia on a secure memory care unit, using redirection to reduce behaviors.
• Assisted with 25 admissions a month on a short-term rehab unit, from settling in to first weights and vitals.
• Trained 10 new aides on safe lift use and the facility’s charting system.
• Received 3 written compliments from families in one year, shared at the facility’s staff meeting.
• Kept a perfect attendance record for 2 years, earning the facility’s reliability award.
• Measured and recorded intake and output for 6 residents on fluid restrictions with no missed entries in a state survey review.

Skills to list

Certifications and licenses worth listing

• State nurse aide certification (CNA, or STNA in Ohio): required to work. Name the state registry; employers verify it online.
• Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association: required by most hospitals and many facilities.
• Certified Medication Aide or Medication Technician: in states that allow it, a step up in pay and duties.
• Dementia care training (for example, Alzheimer’s Association programs): helpful for memory care roles.

Length and format

One page. Put your certification near the top or in a sidebar, then your current job with four or five bullets. Older non-healthcare jobs get a line or two that show reliability or customer service.

Common mistakes

• Not naming the state of your certification. CNA rules and registries are state by state.
• Writing only “assisted residents with ADLs”. Say how many residents and what kind of unit.
• Leaving out lifts, dementia care or skin care when you do them daily. Job ads ask for them.
• Hiding attendance or extra shifts. Facilities value dependability as much as skill.
• Listing a lapsed certification as current. Renew it before you apply or note that renewal is in progress.