Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) CV examples and tips

CNA stands for certified nursing assistant, which is considered entry-level nursing staff, and is usually the most entry-level health care worker in a facility or hospital. When you work as a CNA, you’re providing basic care and helping with certain non-medical aspects of a person’s well-being. To best display these qualifications and convince hiring managers to hire you, it’s important to follow expert CNA CV examples.

On this page, we’ll give you all the expert advice you need to create a professional CV for a CNA job, including:

• Top CNA CV examples you can use as a base to create your CV.
• Expert CV writing tips to showcase your CNA skills effectively.
• Certified nursing assistant CV formatting tips and cover letter advice.

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• Appropriate certifications and training

  To be hired as a certified nursing assistant, you must have your GCEs in maths and English or equivalent, or A-levels. It’s also a great asset to have completed higher education courses in Health and Social Care, or another related field.

• Key CNA skills

  Hiring managers want to ensure that you have the skills necessary to do the CNA job well. As a certified nursing assistant, you will work directly with patients and help the charge nurse with complex tasks for patient care.

• Best CNA qualifications for the job

  Not two CNA jobs are the same. Read the job description well to determine the requirements and major responsibilities of the job, then, tailor your CNA CV accordingly. The employer might be looking for a nursing aide to work at a nursing home or they might be searching for a CNA that has work experience in clinical facilities. So review the job posting and make sure you have the best qualifications for the job.

• Use of keywords

  A major part of tailoring your CNA CV to the job is including keywords and key phrases from the job description in your CV. Choose several skills and listed responsibilities that apply to your expertise and include them across your CV.

• ATS-friendly CV

  Most employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) software to filter through CV and only receive the CV of the most qualified job seekers. Make sure your CV is ATS-friendly by writing keywords and using a CV template, such as the one featured in our CNA CV sample, that is easy to read.

Before you sit down to write your CNA CV, it’s important to understand the three CV formats:

• Chronological CV: This is the most widely used format by job seekers. It’s ideal for certified nursing assistants with extensive work experience in health care, as it focuses on the work history section and your career growth.
• Functional CV: If you’re a CNA with little to no experience, consider using the functional format. This format focuses on the skills you have for the CNA job as opposed to work experience, so if you just finished training, it’s a great option to show hiring managers that you have the qualifications needed to do the job.
• Combination CV: As it’s suggested by the name, the combination or hybrid CV format is a mix of the chronological and functional CV formats. It’s ideal for certified nursing assistants with three to eight years of work experience, as it gives equal emphasis to your years of experience and CNA skill set.

  Some other CV formatting tips to keep in mind:

• Use a professional CV font. Stick to fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica or Verdana; this isn’t the time to be eccentric.
• Make sure the margins are correct. Your CNA CV should have 1-inch margins all around but if you need extra space for more information, you can take them down to half an inch.
• Keep it readable. The font size of your CV should be large enough for recruiters and hiring managers to read. The body text should be 11-12 points, the subheadings 14-15 and your name 16 or 18.
• Maintain the right spacing. Keep the spacing between lines as single or 1.5.
• Download in the correct file format. The CNA job description will let you know if the potential employer wants the CV in a specific file format but, usually, PDF or MS Word is the way to go.

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1. Header and contact information

   The first section is your header containing your contact information. A header helps introduce you to a CNA job. It includes your full name, phone number, email address and any job networking links such as LinkedIn. Make sure that the information you include is updated and professional.

2. Professional objective or summary

   Your CNA CV can begin with either a summary or an objective. Which is best for you will depend on your years of experience and what you hope to accomplish with your CV.

   A summary summarises your top qualifications relevant to the job description in two to three sentences. It’s best for certified nursing assistants with more than three years of work experience. For example:

   Diligent certified nursing assistant with more than four years of experience working in nursing homes. Able to provide the best patient care, educate family members and bathe patients. Skilled in stocking supplies, documenting food and liquid intake, and medication administration.

   An objective also summarises your key skills and qualifications in two to three sentences but it also states your goals for employment. An objective statement is better for candidates with less than two years of experience or people changing careers.

   CNA with two years of experience seeking nursing assistant job in a rehabilitation centre. Strong physical strength to turn and move patients, knowledgeable in medical terminology and documentation of electronic medical records. Excellent communicator and collaborator.

3. Skills section

   There are many hard skills and soft skills that you can include as part of a nursing assistant job. Here are some of the CV skills to consider in the following bullet points:

Hard skills

• Charting patient vital signs
• Wheelchair usage and ambulation
• Medical equipment
• First aid
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)

Soft skills

• Teamwork
• Excellent communication skills
• Time management skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Compassion
• Adaptability

4. Work experience section

   Your work history section should be written in reverse-chronological order. Your current or latest CNA job should go at the top and each position should include three to five bullet points detailing work accomplishments or major responsibilities. In addition:

• Start each bullet point with an action verb like “organised,” “treated,” “aided” or “charted.” Action verbs will help your CNA CV pack a punch.
• Use numbers to better portray your accomplishments as a certified nursing assistant.

Take a look at this example of a CNA CV work experience section:

CNA / May 2018 – Nov. 2022
Cosy Home, Maldon, Essex

• Fed an average of 15 patients per day, ensuring that they finished their meals.
• Cleaned 20 rooms every week, over 40 linens and thoroughly cleaned patient bedpans.
• Educated family members with patient care best practises and provided comfort during trying times.

5. Education

   A CNA must have their GCSEs and completed an accredited CNA training programme. The exact requirements for passing the programme may depend on the region, as they each have local requirements, but they will all likely require you to complete a number of clinical training hours. Aspiring CNAs must also take the certification exam to gain their licence.
   If you have all the educational requirements under your belt, list them in the education section of your CV.

6. Additional sections

   If you have additional certifications or training relevant to the CNA job, create other sections for your CV. Some certifications you could consider include:

   • First Aid
   • CPR
   • Basic Life Support (BLS)

CVhas dozens of other CV examples, resources and articles to help you write the best CV.

• CV Examples: Explore our library of CV samples for hundreds of jobs and industries.
• How to Write a CV: Our expert CV writing guide teaches you how to write each section of your CV .
• Nurse CV Examples: Capture your nursing qualifications and impress hiring managers.
• Registered Nurse CV Examples: You’re an expert at patient care. Make sure recruiters see it with our helpful guide.
• CV Design Tips: Make sure you submit a professional CV with our design tips.
• CV References: Create the perfect references list with our expert tips.

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Your CNA job application won’t be complete without a professional cover letter. Use our resources to craft a compelling cover letter that impresses employers.

• How to Write a Cover Letter: Expand on your CNA skills and top qualifications the right way with our writing guide.
• Cover Letter Builder: Our user-friendly Cover Letter Builder gives you step-by-step guidance and helps you write a great cover letter in just a couple of minutes.
• Cover Letter Templates: Match your CVtemplate with one of our cover letter templates.
• Cover Letter Format: Ensure lyour cover letter is formatted correctly with our guidelines.
• Cover Letter Examples: Use our hundreds of examples as inspiration to write your cover letter.

You’ve seen our professional CNA CV examples and read our expert CV writing tips, so let’s quickly recap everything:

1. It’s important to tailor your professional CV to the CNA job.
2. A big part of tailoring a CV is using keywords and key phrases from the job description.
3. The CV formats aren’t interchangeable. Choose the one that best fits your needs.
4. Your years of experience will determine whether a CV summary or objective is best.
5. Focus on work accomplishments and big responsibilities in your work history section.
6. Include 8-10 hard skills and soft skills.
7. List important CNA certifications and training.
8. Make sure the CV formatting is consistent throughout your CNA CV.
9. Save and submit your CV as a PDF or MS Word document.
10. Always include a cover letter with your CV.

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