Resume skills · Healthcare Support Occupations
Certified Nursing Assistant Resume Skills and Keywords
The software, skills and bullet points that belong on a certified nursing assistant resume, from U.S. Department of Labor data.
Updated November 6, 2026 · How we build these pages
What skills should I put on a certified nursing assistant resume?
The top skills to put on a certified nursing assistant resume are medicine and dentistry, therapy and counseling, and service orientation. Employers also look for dependability, attention to detail and integrity, which are best shown through results in your bullet points rather than listed. For software, list what the posting names; certified nursing assistants most often use medical and billing and invoicing software.
- Medicine and Dentistry knowledge
- Therapy and Counseling knowledge
- Service Orientation
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
What software should certified nursing assistants know?
No single program shows up often in certified nursing assistant job postings. Certified nursing assistants most often use medical, billing and invoicing, and business intelligence software, so list the specific products a posting names and you have used.
| Type of work | Tools certified nursing assistants use |
|---|---|
| Medical | MEDITECH, Epic Systems, GE Healthcare Centricity EMR, PointClickCare healthcare, Medical procedure coding software, Medical condition coding software, Medical record charting software, Telemetry software |
| Billing and invoicing | Billing software |
| Business intelligence and dashboards | Apache Spark |
| Video conferencing | FaceTime |
| Video creation and editing | YouTube |
| Databases and queries | Health information database software |
| Word processing | Microsoft Word |
| Office suite | Microsoft Office |
| Spreadsheet | Microsoft Excel |
Leave off Web browser software and Microsoft Outlook: employers assume you know them.
What hard skills do employers want in certified nursing assistants?
Certified nursing assistants need medicine and dentistry, therapy and counseling, and service orientation far more than most workers, and customer and personal service more than most. Name these in your resume summary and prove each one with a bullet that shows you using it.
- Medicine and Dentistry · Needed far more than in most jobsKnowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Therapy and Counseling · Needed far more than in most jobsKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Service Orientation · Needed far more than in most jobsActively looking for ways to help people.
- Customer and Personal Service · Needed more than in most jobsKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Social Perceptiveness · Needed more than in most jobsBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Public Safety and Security · Needed more than in most jobsKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Compared with the average rating across all jobs in Department of Labor data.
What soft skills do certified nursing assistants need?
The most important soft skills for certified nursing assistants are dependability, attention to detail and integrity, followed by cooperation and social orientation. Show them through results in your bullet points rather than listing them as single words.
- Dependability: A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.
- Attention to Detail: A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.
- Integrity: A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.
- Cooperation: A tendency to be pleasant, helpful, and willing to assist others at work.
- Social Orientation: A tendency to seek out, enjoy, and be energized by social interaction at work.
What keywords should a certified nursing assistant resume include?
A certified nursing assistant resume should include the exact tool names, skills and job title from the posting. For certified nursing assistants, common keywords include medicine and dentistry, therapy and counseling, Certified Medication Aide (CMA), and Certified Nurse Aide (CNA). Applicant tracking systems and recruiters scan for these words, so use them wherever they truthfully describe your experience.
Screening software and recruiters look for the tool names in the posting. Paste your resume to see which certified nursing assistant tools it mentions. Nothing leaves your browser.
How do I write certified nursing assistant resume bullet points?
Start each certified nursing assistant bullet point with a past-tense verb and a core task, such as “Turned or repositioned bedridden patients,” then end it with a measurable result: what changed, by how much, and for whom. These starters come from the job’s most important tasks.
Bullet starters from a certified nursing assistant’s core tasks
- Turned or repositioned bedridden patients
- Answered patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs
- Fed patients or assisted patients to eat or drink
- Measured and recorded food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff
- Provided physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising
- Documented or otherwise reported observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses
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- Reminded patients to take medications or nutritional supplements
- Reviewed patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet
- Undressed, washed, and dressed patients who are unable to do so for themselves
- Observed or examined patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine
- Lifted or assisted others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers
- Supplied, collected, or emptied bedpans
- Communicated with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support
- Recorded vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff
- Gathered information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities
Resume summary starter
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
What are other job titles for a certified nursing assistant?
Other job titles for a certified nursing assistant include Certified Medication Aide (CMA), Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), Certified Nurses Aide (CNA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA). Government job data groups them as “Nursing Assistants.” Search for these titles too, and use the posting’s exact title on your resume when it fits your experience.
- Certified Medication Aide (CMA)
- Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nurses Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA)
- Nurses' Aide
- Nursing Aide
- Nursing Assistant
- Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
- State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA)
- Birth Attendant
- Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Attendant (CNA)
- Certified Residential Medication Aide (CRMA)
- Clinical Assistant
- Competency Evaluated Nurse Aide (CENA)
- First Aid Attendant
- Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA)
- Gericare Aide
- Health Aide
What education do certified nursing assistants need?
Most certified nursing assistants need a postsecondary nondegree award to get hired. No prior work experience is usually required. On your resume, list coursework or certifications in medicine and dentistry, therapy and counseling, and customer and personal service. In a federal survey, 39% of certified nursing assistants said the job requires a high school diploma and 24% a postsecondary certificate.
How much do certified nursing assistants make?
Certified nursing assistants earn a median salary of $42,260 a year, according to May 2025 federal wage data. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $33,940, and the highest-paid 10% earn more than $51,980. Employment is projected to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all jobs, with about 196,200 openings a year.
Median yearly pay, May 2025
$42,260
80% earn $33,940 to $51,980
Expected job growth, 2025–35
+2.6%
All jobs: +3.5%
Job openings per year
196,200
1,448,910 people work in this job
Typical education to get hired
Postsecondary nondegree award
Turn this list into a tailored certified nursing assistant resume
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Try the AI Resume Builder freeWhere this data comes from
- Software, skills, traits, tasks, titles and education survey: O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor), occupation 31-1131.00.
- Pay and employment: Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (OEWS), May 2025, occupation 31-1131.
- Job growth, openings and typical education: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by MyCareerAI. Full attribution and changes