10 Essential CNA Skills to Enhance Your Resume & Cover Letter in 2024

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) play a pivotal role in providing quality healthcare, and as the landscape of the industry evolves, employers seek candidates with specific skills. To make your resume and cover letter stand out in 2024, here are the top 10 CNA skills that will demonstrate your proficiency and dedication to the field.

  1. Patient Transfer:
    • Feature your expertise in using Hoyer lifts, sit-to-stand techniques, and implementing fall prevention strategies.
    • Utilize terms like “safe patient handling” and “mobility assistance” to underscore your proficiency.
  2. Patient Bathing:
    • Highlight your understanding of skin breakdown prevention, proper hygiene practices, and adept handling of medical equipment.
    • Incorporate keywords such as “wound care,” “infection control,” and “patient comfort” to emphasize your knowledge.
  3. Perineal Care:
    • Emphasize your skill in educating patients, assessing skin conditions, and preventing UTIs.
    • Utilize terms like “female patient hygiene,” “urinary tract infections,” and “skin integrity” to emphasize your expertise.
  4. Oral Care:
    • Showcase your proficiency in denture care, conducting oral hygiene assessments, and identifying swallowing difficulties.
    • Integrate keywords such as “aspiration prevention,” “nutritional needs,” and “dental hygiene education.”
  5. Patient Feeding:
    • Explain your capabilities in monitoring food intake, adhering to prescribed diets, and promoting proper nutrition.
    • Use keywords like “patient safety,” “diet management,” and “nutritional counseling” to highlight your skills.
  6. Vital Signs:
    • Highlight your competence in taking and interpreting vital signs, effective communication with nurses, and identifying potential health concerns.
    • Utilize keywords like “vital signs monitoring,” “therapeutic communication,” and “early intervention.”
  7. Hand Washing:
    • Emphasize your dedication to hand hygiene as a critical infection control measure.
    • Integrate keywords such as “hospital protocols,” “patient safety,” and “disease prevention.”
  8. Range of Motion Exercises:
    • Explain your experience with various ROM routines for different conditions and your ability to safely assist patients.
    • Utilize terms like “physical therapy,” “geriatric care,” and “mobility maintenance.”
  9. Nail Trimming:
    • Highlight your meticulous approach to nail care and its role in preventing infections.
    • Use keywords like “preventative care,” “patient comfort,” and “attention to detail.”
  10. Communication and Documentation:
    • Showcase your proficiency in Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, hand-off reports, and clear communication with healthcare teams.
    • Incorporate keywords such as “electronic health records,” “interdepartmental collaboration,” and “patient information management.”

Remember, a well-crafted resume highlighting your diverse skill set is pivotal to securing your dream CNA job. So, accentuate your strengths, express your passion, and stand out among the competition! Looking for a job? Check out our job postings to check what’s in store for you this 2024!