RN Resume Skills That Land Interviews in 2026
Clinical Competencies, Certifications & What Nurse Recruiters Actually Search For
With 189,100 nursing positions opening annually and a nationwide shortage of nearly 296,000 RNs, your resume skills section can make or break your job search. The challenge? Knowing which clinical competencies hiring managers filter for, which certifications matter most, and how to prove your nursing skills with achievements that stand out.
What Skills Should a Registered Nurse Put on a Resume?
This guide covers the exact skills that get registered nurses hired, from core clinical competencies to the EHR systems hospitals actually use. You'll find copy-ready resume bullets for every experience level, specialty-specific keywords, and the certification stack that moves you to the top of the pile.
The Nursing Demand Reality
Registered Nurse Skills by Experience Level
Entry-level to senior: what to include at each career stage
New Graduate RN (0-1 years)
Focus on core clinical competencies and certifications. Build your assessment skills and EHR proficiency.
- 1BLS certification (required) and ACLS within first year
- 2Patient assessment and vital signs monitoring
- 3Medication administration with barcode scanning
- 4Basic IV therapy and venipuncture
- 5EHR documentation in Epic or Cerner
- 6Infection control and isolation precautions
- 7Communication using SBAR format
- 8Time management with 4-6 patient assignments
Experienced RN (2-5 years)
Develop specialty expertise and take on leadership roles. Precepting and charge responsibilities set you apart.
- 1Specialty certifications (CCRN, CEN, PCCN, etc.)
- 2Charge nurse and preceptor experience
- 3Complex patient populations and high-acuity care
- 4Quality improvement project participation
- 5Advanced assessment and clinical judgment
- 6Interdisciplinary care coordination
- 7Float pool or cross-training in multiple units
- 8Patient education program development
Senior RN / Clinical Leader (5+ years)
Drive unit outcomes and influence practice. Pursue advanced certifications and formal leadership roles.
- 1Unit leadership and staff development
- 2Evidence-based practice implementation
- 3Quality metrics ownership and improvement
- 4Magnet or shared governance participation
- 5Advanced specialty certifications
- 6Clinical educator or CNS pathway preparation
- 7Hospital committee membership
- 8Nursing research and publication
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Hard Skills for Registered Nurse Resumes
Technical skills with resume examples and ATS keywords
💡 Tip:Show assessment scope and outcomes. Mention patient volumes, acuity levels, and how your assessments improved care.
💡 Tip:Highlight medication safety achievements and specialized administration skills like chemotherapy or insulin protocols.
💡 Tip:Name specific EHR systems you've used. Epic and Cerner control over 50% of the US hospital market, so proficiency matters.
💡 Tip:Quantify your success rates. First-stick success and infection prevention metrics impress hiring managers.
💡 Tip:Show wound healing outcomes and prevention achievements. Hospital-acquired pressure injuries are a key quality metric.
💡 Tip:Highlight rhythm interpretation skills and rapid response to cardiac events. Telemetry experience is valuable across many units.
💡 Tip:Ventilator experience is highly valued. Include weaning protocols and extubation success if applicable.
💡 Tip:Show how your education improved patient outcomes. Readmission rates and patient satisfaction scores are measurable wins.
💡 Tip:Quantify infection prevention achievements. Zero HAI rates and compliance percentages are powerful metrics.
💡 Tip:Show balanced approach to pain management. Both effective pain control and opioid stewardship are valued.
💡 Tip:Highlight response times and outcomes. Experience with code teams and rapid response is valuable across settings.
💡 Tip:Show measurable QI outcomes. Projects that reduced falls, infections, or readmissions demonstrate leadership potential.
Need stronger action verbs? Browse our Action Verbs Library for powerful words that make your achievements stand out.
Soft Skills Every Registered Nurse Needs
Interpersonal abilities that strengthen your resume
💡 Tip:Show decision-making under pressure. Highlight situations where your assessment led to better patient outcomes.
💡 Tip:Show interprofessional teamwork and clear communication with patients, families, and the healthcare team.
💡 Tip:Show how you advocated for patient needs and provided compassionate care in challenging situations.
💡 Tip:Show ability to handle changing priorities, high-acuity situations, and staffing challenges professionally.
💡 Tip:Show charge nurse experience, preceptor roles, and informal leadership even without formal titles.
💡 Tip:Show ability to manage multiple patients, competing demands, and time-sensitive interventions efficiently.
Writing your professional summary? Our AI Resume Summary Generator creates compelling summaries that highlight your key skills.
ATS Optimization for Nursing Resumes
- Use exact terminology from the job posting, such as 'Epic EHR' not just 'electronic records' or 'telemetry' not 'cardiac monitoring'
- Include your RN license number and state, plus any compact license information
- List certifications with acronyms and full names: 'Basic Life Support (BLS)', 'Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)'
- Specify unit types and patient populations: 'Medical-Surgical', 'ICU', 'Level I Trauma Center'
- Quantify patient loads: 'Managed care for 6-8 patients per shift' or 'ED volume of 60,000 annual visits'
- Include both clinical skills and EHR systems in a dedicated Skills section, then demonstrate them in experience bullets
Resume Mistakes Registered Nurses Should Avoid
Common errors that get skills sections rejected
Listing only certifications without showing clinical application
Every RN has BLS. Without showing how you've used skills in practice, certifications are just checkboxes.
Connect certifications to outcomes: 'ACLS certified; responded to 50+ code events with above-average ROSC rate'
Writing 'Provided patient care' without specifics
All nurses provide patient care. This tells recruiters nothing about your skills, setting, or achievements.
Add context: 'Provided direct care for 6 high-acuity cardiac patients, managing telemetry monitoring and titrating drips'
Omitting EHR system names
Hospitals filter for specific EHR experience. 'Computer charting' won't match searches for 'Epic' or 'Cerner'.
Name specific systems: 'Epic EHR documentation', 'Cerner order entry', 'Meditech clinical charting'
Not quantifying patient loads or outcomes
Numbers prove capability. A recruiter can't assess your experience without knowing patient volumes and acuity.
Include metrics: 'Managed 8-patient assignment on 40-bed med-surg unit' or 'Zero medication errors across 10,000+ administrations'
Using outdated terminology or abbreviations
Healthcare language evolves. 'Bedpan changes' sounds dated; 'ADLs assistance' shows current practice.
Use current terms: 'Evidence-based practice', 'interdisciplinary rounds', 'hand hygiene compliance', 'SBAR communication'
Forgetting to include specialty unit experience
Unit type matters for job matching. 'Hospital nurse' doesn't help a recruiter filling an ICU position.
Specify: 'Medical ICU', 'Level I Trauma ED', 'Labor and Delivery', 'Oncology/Hematology'
Not highlighting leadership even without formal titles
Precepting, charge duties, and committee work show leadership potential that accelerates career growth.
Include informal leadership: 'Served as relief charge nurse', 'Precepted 8 new graduates', 'Led unit practice council'
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ATS Keywords for Registered Nurse Resumes
Terms that help your resume pass applicant tracking systems
ATS Keywords
Click to copy • Include these naturally in your resume
| Category | Recommended Keywords |
|---|---|
| Core Clinical Skills | |
| EHR Systems | |
| Certifications | |
| Specialty Areas | |
| Safety & Quality | |
| Soft Skills |
Registered Nurse Resume Bullets You Can Copy
Achievement statements tailored to your experience
- Provided direct patient care for 6-8 med-surg patients per shift, maintaining 95% patient satisfaction scores
- Administered 150+ medications daily with zero errors using barcode verification and five rights protocol
- Documented patient care in Epic EHR for 5,000+ encounters annually with 98% quality compliance
- Precepted 12 new graduate nurses, achieving 100% successful transition to independent practice
- Maintained 92% first-stick IV insertion success rate across 400+ annual placements
- Implemented fall prevention protocol reducing unit fall rate by 40% over 6 months
- Coordinated discharge planning for 15+ patients weekly with case management and outpatient providers
- Responded to 30+ rapid response and code blue events with successful patient outcomes
- Achieved CLABSI-free unit for 18 consecutive months through bundle compliance
- Served as charge nurse for 30-bed telemetry unit, managing staffing and patient flow
- Developed diabetes education program reducing 30-day readmissions by 25%
- Managed ventilator care for 4 ICU patients daily, collaborating on weaning protocols
Want personalized bullets? Our AI Bullet Generator creates achievement-focused bullets tailored to your experience.
Best Certifications for Registered Nurses
Credentials that boost your hiring chances
Basic Life Support (BLS)
RequiredAmerican Heart Association
Required for all RN positions. Renews every 2 years. Many employers provide on-site renewal.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
American Heart Association
Required for ICU, telemetry, ED, and most acute care positions. Expected within 3-6 months of hire for many roles.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
American Heart Association
Required for pediatric and emergency nursing. Expected for any role caring for children.
Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
AACN
Gold standard for ICU nurses. Requires 1,750 hours of direct care in critical care within past 2 years. Salary premium of $2-4/hour.
Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
BCEN
Validates emergency nursing expertise. Requires 2 years ED experience recommended. Recognized across all ED settings.
Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
AACN
For step-down, intermediate, and telemetry units. Bridge certification between med-surg and critical care.
Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN)
ONCC
For nurses caring for cancer patients. Demonstrates chemotherapy and oncology care expertise.
Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
PNCB
Validates pediatric nursing expertise across all settings. Valuable for children's hospitals.
Registered Nurse Resume Skills FAQ
Focus on clinical rotations with specific unit types (ICU, ED, med-surg), certifications (BLS, ACLS if obtained), EHR systems used in clinicals, and transferable skills from healthcare jobs. Include capstone or senior practicum details with patient populations and any simulation lab competencies.
Create a dedicated Skills section with 12-15 keywords organized by category (Clinical, Technology, Certifications). Then demonstrate these skills in your experience bullets. Quality over quantity: list skills you can actually discuss in an interview.
BSN is increasingly preferred, especially at Magnet hospitals. However, ADN nurses remain highly employable, particularly in non-Magnet facilities, long-term care, and areas with severe shortages. Many hospitals offer tuition support for ADN-to-BSN programs.
BLS is required for all RNs. ACLS is expected for critical care, telemetry, and ED. PALS for pediatrics. Specialty certifications like CCRN (critical care), CEN (emergency), and PCCN (progressive care) demonstrate expertise and often command salary premiums of $1-3/hour.
Use standard headers (Experience, Education, Certifications, Skills). Include exact keywords from job postings. Name specific EHR systems (Epic, Cerner). List certification acronyms AND full names. Avoid tables, graphics, and headers/footers that ATS can't parse.
According to BLS data from May 2024, the median RN salary is $93,600 nationally, with a range of $66,030 to $135,320. California leads at $148,000+ average. Specialty areas like ICU, OR, and travel nursing command premiums.
Yes, travel nursing demonstrates adaptability, rapid learning, and diverse experience. List each assignment separately with facility type, unit, and key accomplishments. Address potential concerns about job-hopping by emphasizing skills gained across settings.
Highlight transferable skills: patient assessment, medication administration, critical thinking. Get ACLS certified before applying. Emphasize any experience with higher-acuity patients, code response, or floating to ICU. Many hospitals offer residency programs for specialty transitions.
Critical care (ICU, ED), telehealth competency, behavioral health, and infection control remain high-demand. EHR proficiency, especially Epic, is expected. With the aging population, gerontology and chronic disease management skills are increasingly valuable.
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