Which Skills Should a Registered Nurse Put on a Resume?

Hard Skills for Registered Nurse Resumes

Hard skills are verifiable, role-specific abilities that demonstrate you can perform core clinical duties required for RN roles. These keywords are frequently scanned by healthcare ATS systems, so listing specific, widely recognized terms will boost your resume’s visibility. Key hard skills to include are:

• Patient assessment and triage for acute and chronic care settings
• Electronic Health Record (EHR) system proficiency (Epic, Cerner, Meditech are the most common platforms)
• Medication administration and dosage calculation
• IV insertion, wound care, and other routine clinical procedures
• CDC and OSHA-aligned infection control protocols
• Active CPR, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications
• Telemetry monitoring and vital sign interpretation

If you have specialized unit experience (e.g., ICU, labor and delivery, emergency department), add niche hard skills relevant to that setting, such as ventilator management or neonatal resuscitation, to stand out for specialized roles.

Soft Skills for Registered Nurse Resumes

Soft skills, or interpersonal abilities, are often the deciding factor between equally qualified RN candidates, as they directly impact patient outcomes, care team coordination, and workplace culture. High-priority soft skills for RNs include:

• Empathetic, clear communication with patients, family members, and care teams
• Critical thinking and rapid problem-solving for emergent clinical situations
• Time management and ability to prioritize care for 4 to 6+ patients at a time, depending on your unit
• Cultural competence for serving diverse patient populations with varying health needs and beliefs
• Conflict resolution for de-escalating agitated patients or addressing care team misalignment

Where possible, tie soft skills to concrete achievements in your work history section (e.g., "De-escalated 90% of agitated patient encounters on my unit in 2023") to prove your proficiency, rather than only listing the skill in isolation.

How to Prioritize RN Skills for Each Job Application

Avoid using a one-size-fits-all skills section for every RN job you apply to. First, pull keywords directly from the job description: if the posting repeatedly mentions "Epic EHR" and "geriatric care coordination," list those terms at the top of your skills section. Next, prioritize skills you can validate with past experience: if you led a unit training on infection control, note that achievement in your work history to back up that skill. Finally, group skills into clear, scannable categories to make it easy for recruiters, who spend an average of 6 seconds on initial resume reviews, to identify your qualifications quickly.

Skills to Avoid Listing on Your RN Resume

Skip generic skills that are assumed for all licensed RNs, such as "basic first aid" or "good personal hygiene" — these take up valuable space without adding value. Avoid outdated skills that are no longer relevant to modern clinical settings, like paper charting proficiency, unless the job posting specifically mentions using paper records. Never overstate skills you do not have: if you only used Cerner for 2 weeks during clinical rotations, do not list yourself as a Cerner expert, as employers may test your proficiency during interviews or on your first day of work.