The 4 Best Nursing Skills to Have on Your Resume

Specific Medical Skills
These are perhaps the most important skills any practical nurse should have. Clinical nursing skills will vary depending on your area of medical expertise. For instance, critical care nursing is far different from working in the pediatric ward. However, that doesn’t mean nurse practitioners don’t have specific medical knowledge and training to work off of, either.

Here are some of the most essential skills for a nursing job:

• Taking vital signs/reading patient charts
• Pain management and medicine knowledge
• Going over treatment plans or care plans
• Patient care
• Medical record management
• CPR and/or first aid

Technical Skills
A nurse will not only need to have specific medical knowledge, but they also need to know how to work medical equipment as well. Being able to administer successful injections or insert or take out a catheter can directly influence the pain management and overall well-being of any given patient.

Communication Skills
Effective communication is a great skill to have for the nursing industry. Nurses are often on the front line of many medical procedures, so being able to communicate clearly with your patients and fellow team members is necessary. Teamwork is especially crucial in the medical field, as you and your team will constantly need to care for dozens of patients with a variety of different health conditions.

Great interpersonal skills can also help you deal with difficult patients or family members, or thoughtfully inform a patient’s family of their relative’s condition. Knowing how to deescalate stressful situations is always a valuable trait to have.

Organizational Skills
There are lots of skills that can fall under this category. Organizing is more than just charting patients’ health and pain. It involves juggling multiple priorities at once.

Time management skills also fall under this umbrella. A successful nurse will be able to pivot from taking a patient’s blood pressure to handling a sudden issue within the emergency room with relative ease. Prioritization and adaptability are essential to the nursing field. By intuitively knowing which patients need the most help and shifting gears when needed, you can better look after everyone under your care.

If you are still having trouble picking out skills to place on your resume, look no further than the ResumeNerd blog for help. We have dozens of tips and tricks to spruce up your resume for your next big job search!