Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) CV—Examples & Writing Tips

From the chronically ill to the mentally disabled to the elderly, you help people who can’t help themselves.

Thing is, the hospital or long-term care clinic doesn’t yet know about your your extraordinary nursing skills.

So, you’ll inform them— 

With the best CNA CV to talk up your medical skills, nursing experience, and professional background.

In this guide you’ll find:

• The best certified nursing assistant CV sample to get those CNA jobs.
• How to tailor your nurse assistant CV to the CNA job description.
• How to write CVs for CNA positions that score hospital and nursing interviews.
• Expert tips and examples to improve your chances of landing nursing jobs.

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Also, have a look at these similar medical CV examples related to nursing:

• Nursing CV Examples
• Nursing Student CV Examples
• Nurse Practitioner CV Examples
• Medical Assistant CV Examples
• ICU Nurse CV Examples
• LPN CV Examples
• Caregiver CV Examples
• Doctor CV Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV Examples for Over 200 Jobs.

CNA CV Example You Can Copy and Use

Now— 

Here’s how to write a CNA CV of your own:

1. Format a CNA CV Template Before Writing

A nurse wouldn’t just jab a needle in a patient’s arm before washing their hands and sanitising the area, right?

Similarly, before you begin writing a CV for certified nurse assistant jobs, the CV formatting needs to be prepared.

So—

Here’s how to format a CNA CV template:

• In the work history, education, and other time-based CV sections, use the reverse-chronological order to document each entry.
• Choose the best CV font to use, and stick with 11pt or 12 pt font size in the general text.
• Maintain a 1” margin around all 4 sides of your CNA CV for hospital jobs.
• Include only relevant CV sections with only the most appropriate skills, experience, duties, education, and achievements.

Expert Hint: Export the CV as a PDF, unless directed otherwise. A CNA CV PDF can be read on any screen or device, while a Word document appears funny on certain phones or computers.

2. Start with a CNA CV Objective or CNA Summary

If a client comes into a medical office for a procedural consultation, the doctor’s competence and demeanour will either set their mind at ease or have them running away in fear.

It’s the same when starting a CV—

A CV header paragraph, known as an objective or summary, either compels the RN or LPN in charge to read further or makes them move on to the next candidate.

It has to be good.

But which intro statement is right for you?

If you have experience as a nurse assistant, go with the CV summary. 

The career summary statement talks up your knowledge of nursing assistant skills, procedures, and protocols. It introduces you as a CNA candidate by briefly relaying your background, and it intrigues them by proving your abilities with a numbered achievement.

Here’s how to write a summary on a nursing assistant CV:

CNA CV Examples of Summary Paragraphs

The first example CV summary is the winner because it is detailed, specific, and includes numbers to verify your nursing assistant skills. Furthermore, it’s tailored to the job—a key trait of CNA CVs that score interviews. 

But— 

No Nursing Experience to Speak Of?

When you’ve got little or no work history as a nursing assistant, go with the CV objective. 

The objective statement on a CV for certified nursing assistants gives evidence of your skills and background, though unrelated. It provides your career goals to show your desire for this CNA job, and it also submits a numbered achievement for the win.

Here’s how to write a CNA CV objective introduction:

Entry-Level CNA CV Objective

The bad example is generic and full of job-seeking jargon—you’ll prove you’re not the best nurse assistant because you’ll make them sick.

The good example is just right: to the point, detailed, personalised, and quantifiable. 

Expert Hint: For the biggest impact, write the heading statement last. This way, you’ll have the best idea of what to talk about in your intro from writing the other sections.

3. Write a Great CNA Job Description and CNA Skills Sections

Now we’ve come to the main part of any certified nurse assistant CV— 

The work experience section.

Here’s how to list past work in a CNA job description CV section:

• List your current or most recent employment position at the top, in reverse-chronological order. 
• Include a job title, dates of employment, hospital or medical services company name, and its city and state.
• Add 5 or 6 job responsibilities you handled as bullet points. Choose only the ones most relevant to this particular nursing assistant position.
• Submit a key achievement or accomplishment using numbers to quantify how great you were at the job.

Check out these two certified nursing assistant job description examples:

CNA Job Description for CVs

See this?

It’s not enough to give a monotonous, basic list of CNA duties. 

To captivate the hiring doctor, RN, LPN, or LVN, give detailed bullet points of your job responsibilities, customise it for this particular position, and include quantifiable wins.

Focus on accomplishments. Most office assistants, CNAs, waiters, waitresses and others send lists with job titles and the job-candidate's job description. Hiring managers either know your job description or they can look it up online. They cannot look up your accomplishments in the job. What kinds of patients did you serve as a CNA? How many did you care for each day?

Also— 

Beware the ATS.

An ATS, or applicant tracking system, assists the administrative staff at larger hospitals and clinics manage the large amounts of CVs they receive. A CV is fed into the software, given CV keywords to look for, and is graded by its match percentage.

If you get a poor grade, you’ll be deemed a poor candidate.

To locate the ideal keywords to use on a CV for CNA jobs, return to the job advertisement.

The CNA job description, particularly in the job responsibilities area, will tell you exactly which skills and abilities this medical facility is looking for in a CNA candidate.

Next up— 

A great CV skills section.

Nursing assistants, aides, and orderlies are expected to increase by 177,700 jobs by 2026. 

This 11% increase means more jobs— 

But also more competitors.

Here is a list of sample CNA CV skills to ensure you get it right:

10+ Winning CNA Skills and Qualifications for CNAs

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• First Aid
• Emergency Response
• Mental Health Requirements
• Empathy & Compassion
• Communication Skills
• Organisational Skills
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Technical Skills
• Disease and Infection Control
• Assessing Vital Signs
• Health Documents & Medical Records
• Everyday Health & Personal Hygiene

As we mentioned earlier, a tailored CV is a CV they’ll consider.

So, don’t think of every CNA skill and medical ability you have and throw them into a nursing assistant skills list. Instead, look at the job ad once more to find the skills they’re looking for. If you have one they request, add that into your certified nurse assistant skills CV list.

Consider including a core competency matrix of 9 hard skills in three columns to help ATS systems find your CV. This is especially important for CNA and related healthcare jobs where specific patient care competencies are key to being selected.

Expert Hint: Include a few soft skills to complement your hard skills! Communication skills, patience, and empathy are just as important for CNA jobs as knowing how to check vital signs.

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4. Use the CNA CV Education Section to Your Advantage

You don’t need more than a high school education for most nursing assistant positions.

However— 

You do need to document your education correctly.

Here’s how a CNA CV education section should appear:

CNA CV Example of Education Section

Here are guidelines to follow for a perfect CNA CV education section:

• Add your most impressive (recent) degree or diploma at the top.
• Include the major, name of the school, location, and date of completion.
• Throw in any relevant and impressive wins, such as academic awards or relevant coursework completed.
• If you’re a university student, add high school as a second entry below.

If you have completed a university degree, however, there’s no need to include your high school diploma.

Expert Hint: In most cases, your work history section goes above your education section. However, if you haven’t worked yet and your education section is more substantial, switch places and put this on top.

5. Round Out a CV for CNAs With Appropriate Extras

Additional sections on a CNA CV show the RN or LPN a clearer picture of yourself as a candidate.

Here are several top choices to consider for extra sections on a nursing assistant CV:

Certifications & Licences

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), American Red Cross
• Preparedness and Health and Safety Services Certification
• Healthcare Assistant Certificate, Pre-LPN Entry Program
• Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant (CHPNA)

CNA & Nursing Organisations & Associations

• Nursing Ethics Network (NEN)
• National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA)
• Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC)
• Home Healthcare Nurses Association (HHNA)
• International Association for Human Caring (IAHC)
• International Council of Nurses (ICN)

Related Hobbies & Interests

• Yoga & Physical Fitness
• Studying for LPN Exam
• Tutoring First Aid & CPR Classes
• Volunteering at Local Clinic

Foreign Language Proficiency

• Bengali: Native Proficiency
• Hindi: Professional Working Proficiency
• Saraiki: Intermediate Proficiency
• Kinyarwanda: Basic Conversational Proficiency

Expert Hint: Don’t forget to include a cover letter for CNA jobs. Most employers require one, and many of the ones that don’t still prefer a CNA cover letter.

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Key Points

Let’s sum up— 

Here’s how to write a CV for CNA jobs:

• Format the CNA CV template before you begin by choosing the right fonts, using a 1-inch margin, and structuring it reverse-chronologically.
• Open with a compelling introduction, either an objective or summary statement.
• Document your work history in reverse-chronological order, with 5 or 6 bullet points, and with quantifiable achievements.
• Tailor your CV to one specific job, rather than writing a generic CNA CV.
• Include a list of nursing skills which they request from the job description.
• Add an education section and any academic achievements relevant to the CNA job.
• Throw in a few additional sections, such as languages, certifications, or hobbies, to really wow the registered nurse who’ll read your CV.

Have any questions on how to write a CV for certified nursing assistant jobs? Want more CNA CV samples? Let’s chat below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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