New Grad Nursing Resume Examples and Templates
Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Examples and Templates for 2024
Last Updated:
September 27, 2024
New Grad LPN
Entry-Level LPN
LPN
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Templates and Examples (Downloadable)
- How To Write a Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Example
- How To Pick The Best Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Template
- Licensed Practical Nurse Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Frequently Asked Questions: Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Examples and Advice
- Check Out Related Examples
Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Templates and Examples (Downloadable)
- New Grad LPN
- Entry-Level LPN
- LPN
Experienced LPN
A well-crafted licensed practical nurse (LPN) resume can help set you apart from the competition during the job search. Use this opportunity to illustrate the most impressive aspects of your experience as a medical professional. Brand yourself as an advocate who places the patient at the center of care delivery. This guide features resume examples and expert advice to help through each step of the resume writing process.
Key takeaways:
- Emphasize your clinical expertise: Focus on your unique ability to support clinical operations and deliver compassionate care to diverse patient populations.
- Detail quantifiable achievements: Incorporate data and hard numbers to demonstrate your success in driving patient satisfaction and positive clinical outcomes.
- Use keywords for ATS: Feature a mix of clinical terminology and soft skills in alignment with the job description to ensure compliance with applicant tracking systems (ATS).
How To Write a Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Example
To write an eye-catching LPN resume, you need a template that allows the hiring manager to easily navigate your content. Your document should always include the following sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
1. Share your contact information
Provide your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Carefully review the accuracy of your contact information to ensure potential employers can easily contact you for an interview.
2. Write a compelling profile summarizing your LPN qualifications
Lead your resume with an engaging opening summary that paints a concise image of your nursing qualifications and background. In the first sentence, mention your years of experience and three relevant skills the employer is looking for. Round out your paragraph with unique insights that convey the most impressive aspects of your health care background.
For example, if you have a strong history of maintaining a 92% patient satisfaction rating in high-volume hospital environments, you might include this in the profile. If you have a strong background in patient advocacy, emphasize how you’ve helped to align treatment plans with the cultural, emotional, and physical needs of diverse patient populations.
LPN Profile Example
A compassionate LPN with five years of experience delivering exceptional patient-centered care in fast-paced clinical environments. A proven track record of communicating effectively with multi-disciplinary teams and serving as an advocate for diverse patient populations.
Experienced LPN Profile Example
A senior LPN with eight years of professional experience specializing in patient-centered care, staff development, and process improvement. A strong history of developing and leading diverse nursing teams to deliver exceptional care. Adept at liaising with patients, families, and medical teams throughout the treatment process.
3. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
To build an eye-catching professional experience section, craft bullet points that emphasize your career achievements rather than simply detailing your daily job responsibilities. Show potential employers how you’ve made a positive impact on the lives of patients. Demonstrate your ability to enhance clinical operations and improve the quality of patient care delivery. Create an engaging picture of how your nursing background would be an asset to the organization you’re applying to.
LPN Professional Experience Example
Licensed Practical Nurse, Carson Medical Center, Seattle, WA | July 2022 – present
- Deliver compassionate care to diverse populations at a high-volume hospital with 300 beds and a 1-to-7 nurse-to-patient ratio while maintaining a 93% patient satisfaction score
- Administer medications, monitor vital signs, pain levels, and reactions, and communicate adverse changes in patient condition to the attending physician
- Serve as a bridge between patients and physicians throughout the treatment process and provide education on diagnosis, care plans, and risk factors
New Grad LPN Professional Experience Example
LPN Extern, Heartland Medical Center, Nashville, TN | June 2024 – August 2024
- Provided quality care to six patients per day following guidance from the supervising registered nurse (RN), including medication administration, wound care, and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
- Collaborated with nursing teams to conduct patient evaluations, analyze symptoms, and develop appropriate treatment plans
- Communicated effectively with a diverse range of patients and maintained a 90% satisfaction score on patient surveys
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
Bolster the impact of your bullet points by featuring compelling numbers and clinical data. Draw attention to your satisfaction score and the nurse-to-patient ratio of the hospital. Incorporate clinical metrics to show hiring managers how you’ve successfully contributed to positive patient outcomes throughout your career. For instance, you might mention that your efforts helped contribute to an overall reduction in patient complication rates.
Do
- “Deliver compassionate care to diverse populations at a high-volume hospital with 300 beds and a 1-to-7 nurse-to-patient ratio while maintaining a 93% patient satisfaction score”
Don’t
- “Provide care to a variety of patients in a large hospital with a sizeable number of beds and meet patient satisfaction goals”
Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application
Customize your LPN resume for each individual job opportunity. Review the posting and identify key qualifications that the hospital is looking for in nursing candidates. What is the hospital looking for in an LPN? How does your health care background align with the organization’s values and needs? By aligning your resume with the job description, you’ll greatly increase your chances of advancing to the next stage of the hiring process.
What if you don’t have experience?
It’s not possible to pursue a career as an LPN without any hands-on experience. At the entry level, prominently feature your externship, as this is a requirement for becoming a licensed LPN. These programs typically last for roughly eight weeks, allowing you to gain valuable experience in direct patient care.
4. Include relevant education and certifications
Feature your college degrees, licenses, and industry certifications to show hiring managers that you have the necessary qualifications for the position. LPNs are expected to have an associate degree in nursing at the bare minimum, though a bachelor’s in nursing can be highly beneficial for your long-term career prospects.
Following the completion of an externship and the NCLEX exam, you’ll receive your state license. This is a strict requirement for any LPN job application. As you grow within the nursing field, you can also consider obtaining certifications in specific care areas to further demonstrate your clinical expertise, such as a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) or Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse (CHPLN) credential.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name and Major] | [Graduation Date]
[School Name] | [City, ST]
Example:
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing | June 2020
University of Tennessee, Nashville, TN
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name] | [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Date]
Example:
- Licensed Professional Nurse (LPN), State of Tennessee | June 2020
- Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse (CHPLN), HPCC | June 2020
5. List pertinent LPN key skills
Most hospitals and health care organizations utilize ATS to expedite the hiring process. The initial screening process involves the use of sophisticated software algorithms that parse your LPN resume for specific keywords from the job description. To ensure ATS compliance, it’s important to feature a mix of clinical terms and soft skills that the organization is looking for. Below is a list of potential key terms to consider adding to your LPN resume:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Acute care | ADLs |
| Case management | Communication |
| Electronic Health Records (EHR) | HIPAA regulations |
| Medication administration | Oncology |
| Orthopedics | Patient advocacy |
| Patient education | Patient-centered care |
| Pediatric care | Physical examinations |
| Post-operative (post-op) care | Surgical care |
| Telemetry | Trauma care |
| Treatment planning | Wound care |
Resume writer’s tip: Use strong action verbs
Incorporating action verbs is a great way to help hiring managers visualize your nursing achievements and daily responsibilities. Tactical use of proactive language can transform the way readers interpret your bullet points, placing a greater emphasis on the role you played in patient-care delivery. That said, it’s easy to repeat the same verbs, which negatively impacts the appeal of your content. Below are verbs you can use to build the professional experience section of your LPN resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Administered | Collaborated |
| Communicated | Conducted |
| Coordinated | Created |
| Delivered | Educated |
| Examined | Improved |
| Monitored | Performed |
| Provided | Supervised |
| Supported | Trained |
| Treated | |
How To Pick The Best Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Template
Selecting the right template for your LPN resume can seem overwhelming, given the sheer number of options available online. The most important thing to consider when choosing a resume template is whether or not the format allows the hiring manager to easily navigate your content. If the template is cluttered with unnecessary graphics or makes poor usage of page space, this can negatively impact the overall reading experience. Choose a well-organized format with an elegant font that prioritizes your qualifications over visual elements.
Licensed Practical Nurse Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Aliya Jackson
[email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | Nashville, TN | LinkedIn | Portfolio
Profile
A recent nursing graduate with direct experience delivering compassionate care to geriatric patients. Adept at collaborating with RNs to improve the patient experience and support positive clinical outcomes.
Professional Experience
LPN Extern, Heartland Medical Center, Nashville, TN | June 2024 – August 2024
- Delivered quality care to six patients per day following guidance from the supervising RN, including medication administration, wound care, and ADLs
- Collaborated with nursing teams to conduct patient evaluations, analyze symptoms, and develop appropriate treatment plans
- Communicated effectively with a diverse range of patients and maintained a 90% satisfaction score on patient surveys
Nursing Assistant, Highland Manor Senior Living, Nashville, TN | June 2023 – June 2024
- Provided empathetic care to elderly patients in a senior living facility with 200 beds under the direction of RNs and physicians
- Offered support for ADLs while preserving patient dignity and agency, resulting in an 89% satisfaction score
Key Skills
- Patient assessment
- Compassionate care
- Wound care
- ADLs
- EHR
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing | June 2024
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Certifications
Licensed Professional Nurse (LPN), State of Tennessee | June 2024
Why this LPN resume example is strong:
This LPN resume excels in displaying the candidate’s commitment and passion for patient-centered care. The messaging effectively captures the applicant’s ability to liaise between physicians, families, and patients throughout all phases of the treatment process.
Frequently Asked Questions: Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with a licensed practical nurse job description?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% increase in job openings for LPNs between 2022 and 2032. Despite having a faster-than-average growth rate, aligning your LPN resume with the job description is still important, especially if you’re pursuing an opportunity with a particularly prestigious hospital.
For example, if an organization prides itself on diversity, equity, and inclusion, you might emphasize your ability to deliver exceptional care to diverse patient populations. If a hospital is looking for an LPN who specializes in pediatric care, highlight your experience communicating effectively with parents and pediatric patients during the treatment process.
What is the best licensed practical nurse resume format?
LPNs should opt for a reverse chronological resume format during the job search. Hospitals are most interested in seeing your hands-on clinical experience, and this approach places your work history directly below the summary of qualifications. Combination formats are generally not recommended for LPNs, as you should be highlighting your externship over skills and certifications even at the entry level.
Expert advice:
Include a cover letter with your resume
Although a cover letter won’t always be required for LPN job applications, there are unique advantages to including one. This allows you to demonstrate how your personal values and experience directly align with the hospital you’re applying to. Writing a cover letter also shows potential employers that you’re willing to go above and beyond what’s expected of you.
Check Out Related Examples
Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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