Resume keywords for Nurse jobs
The skills nurse job postings actually ask for, as the share of the 412 newest postings we track that mention each one (out of 5,410 live nurse jobs).
Live data · computed 2 November 2026 · refreshed daily
Top hard skills and tools
- 1Patient careClinicalClinical24%
- 2DocumentationNursingNursing22%
- 3EHRClinicalClinical17%
- 4Care planningClinicalClinical16%
- 5Home healthNursingNursing12%
- 6Medication administrationClinicalClinical10%
- 7HIPAAClinicalClinical7%
- 8Patient assessmentClinicalClinical7%
- 9TriageClinicalClinical7%
- 10Critical careClinicalClinical6%
- 11ExcelDataData6%
- 12Wound careClinicalClinical6%
- 13Infection controlClinicalClinical6%
- 14Medical-surgicalNursingNursing5%
- 15Vital signsNursingNursing5%
- 16Discharge planningNursingNursing4%
- 17Patient educationClinicalClinical4%
- 18Process improvementProject deliveryProject delivery3%
Certifications postings mention
- Registered Nurse42%
- BLS22%
- LPN13%
- ACLS8%
- PALS5%
- CNA3%
Often listed as a plus rather than a requirement. List only the ones you hold, with the year.
Soft skills and education in the requirements
- Communication56%
- Collaboration13%
- Leadership11%
- Problem solving9%
- Mentoring7%
- Bachelor's degree17%
- BSN13%
- Master's degree8%
Counted only in duties and requirements. Show soft skills through a bullet ("led", "presented", "partnered with"), not as a list.
Example nurse resume bullets using these keywords
Examples written by our team to show the pattern (action, keyword, result), not taken from real candidates. Replace each X with your own number, and only keep a keyword if you really did it.
- Provided patient care for X patients per shift on a medical-surgical unit, including patient assessment and medication administration.
- Charted in Epic EHR and wrote care plans with the care team, with X% on-time documentation.
- Educated patients and families on discharge planning, contributing to a X% drop in readmissions on the unit.
How to use this list
Nursing ads screen on licence and certifications first (RN or LPN, BLS, ACLS), then the setting. Put your licence and certifications at the top, and name the unit or setting and the EHR you charted in.
Only add skills you've really used, in the group your CV already has for them, and show the important ones in a bullet too. The percentages tell you what's common across the market; the job you're applying to is what matters, so check your CV against it.
How we count: the newest live postings whose title matches the role, re-posts removed, description only. Each skill counts once per posting, with common synonyms (k8s = Kubernetes); benefits and legal text are ignored; soft skills only count in the requirements. The role's own name is left out.
Live Nurse jobs
- All Nurse jobs (5,410)
- Nurse jobs in United States (3,393)
- Remote Nurse jobs (793)
- Remote Nurse jobs in the US (556)
- Nurse jobs in United Kingdom (225)
- Nurse jobs in San Francisco Bay Area (172)
- Nurse jobs in Germany (151)
Frequently asked questions
What are the ATS keywords for a nurse resume?
The terms employers' applicant tracking systems are searched with are the skills in the job ad. Across 412 live nurse postings we track, the most common are Patient care, Documentation, EHR, Care planning, Home health, Medication administration, HIPAA, Patient assessment, Triage and Critical care. Use the ones you really have, spelled the way the ad spells them, in your Skills section and in your bullets.
What skills should a nurse put on a resume?
The ones most postings ask for and that you really have. Across 412 recent nurse postings we track, the most-mentioned are Patient care (24%), Documentation (22%), EHR (17%), Care planning (16%) and Home health (12%). Put each one you've used in your Skills section and in a bullet that shows how you used it.
Which nurse skills are must-haves?
No single skill appears in more than half of the postings right now, so the must-haves depend on the company. Use the list as a guide and match each ad individually.
Which certifications do nurse job postings ask for?
Across 412 live nurse postings we track, the certifications mentioned most are Registered Nurse (42%), BLS (22%), LPN (13%) and ACLS (8%). Many ads list them as a plus rather than a requirement, so read each ad, and only list certifications you hold, with the year.
How is this list calculated?
We take the newest live nurse postings from employers' applicant tracking systems, remove re-posts, and count the share whose description mentions each skill (synonyms count, each posting counts once). Benefits and legal boilerplate are ignored. It refreshes daily, and no AI is involved.
Should I add every keyword on this page to my CV?
No. Add only the skills you can discuss in an interview, using the same name the job ad uses. Stuffing in skills you don't have is easy to spot and backfires in interviews.
This page is built from public job postings only. It doesn't need your CV and collects nothing about you. The CV check is separate: we delete your CV from it within 24 hours. See our privacy policy.