LVN Resume Example
A career as a LVN typically involves administering medications safely and monitoring patient vitals. A strong resume for LVN applications showcases your skills, experience and achievements and helps you stand out from other candidates. In this article, we'll explain how to write a winning resume for LVN applications that best showcases your skills and experience.
After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a LVN resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Continue reading to find the best LVN resume tips from careers experts at Jobseeker.
Key sections for a LVN resume
Although the content of a LVN resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.
If you have no work experience as a LVN or have just started in the industry, you could consider using a functional or skills-based format, which emphasizes your skills and education. Soft and transferable skills are often more highly valued by employers for junior roles, so highlight these. Also add any internships, volunteer work or training courses you've undertaken.
If you have some experience as a LVN, use a traditional, reverse-chronological resume format and focus on showing how you've used the skills required for the job in your career to date. Use your work experience section to highlight your career achievements and show how you meet the job description. Offer evidence of the impact you had on successful outcomes for the company.
Senior job applications require a slightly different approach to mid-level or junior LVN roles. Use a reverse-chronological format focusing on your work experience, with a particular emphasis on the impact you've made. Senior resumes are often longer than resumes for junior roles. This is because you may choose to include extra sections, such as awards, professional memberships, publications, conferences or certifications on your resume.
The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:
Resume Header with Contact Details
In your LVN resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.
Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.
Emery Moore
emery.moore@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
124 Conch Street, Bikini Bottom, CA
linkedin․com/in/emery–moore123
Resume Objective
The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for LVN roles.
Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.
A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for LVN roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for LVN jobs below.
Good example:
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and extensive experience in providing compassionate and high-quality patient care. Proven ability in administering medications, wound care, patient assessments, and collaborating with healthcare teams to implement effective treatment plans. Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to enhancing patient outcomes
Bad example:
Nurse with some experience in healthcare and patient care. Worked in roles where I gave medications, helped with wounds, and checked on patients. Have worked with different healthcare teams and tried to follow treatment plans. Focused on communication, details, and trying to help patients feel better
On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.
Work Experience
Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a LVN position. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.
For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.
An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to LVN jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.
Good example:
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), January 2022 - Present
CareBridge Nursing Solutions, Riverside
- Successfully managed the care of up to 20 patients per shift, ensuring adherence to treatment plans and medication schedules
- Implemented a new patient intake procedure that reduced admission time by 30%, improving overall patient satisfaction scores
- Trained and mentored 10 new LVNs, resulting in a 95% retention rate and enhanced team performance
Bad example:
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), January 2022 - Present
CareBridge Nursing Solutions, Riverside
- Managed patient care effectively, ensuring high standards and compliance with protocols
- Improved patient processes, enhancing satisfaction and efficiency
- Supported team development, fostering a collaborative and skilled work environment
In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.
Education
Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for LVN roles.
To work as a LVN, employers tend to require candidates to have a specialist degree, such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). If you have this degree, focus on it in your education section, while also mentioning any educational achievements that show your patient health assessment or IV therapy skills.
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.
Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), 2017 - 2020
University of Washington, Seattle
Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for LVN jobs. These could be patient health assessment, critical thinking or various other relevant skills. Again, include any skills that match those listed in the job description. Focus particularly on technical skills required for LVN jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as a LVN.
How to include hard skills on your LVN resume
Hard skills are the key technical skills required for LVN positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a LVN resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.
The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a LVN resume below.
- Medication administration
- Vital signs monitoring
- Wound care management
Adding soft skills to your LVN resume
Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.
A strong soft skills section should play to your strengths, listing skills that reflect your personal qualities while also reflecting the skills listed in the job description. For some examples of good soft skills for a LVN resume, see below.
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Communication proficiency
- Empathy and compassion
Certifications and Training
Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, add any necessary licenses and certifications in this section, along with valid dates so employers can see you're still qualified for the job.
Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a licensed vocational nurse resume:
- IV Therapy Certification, 2022
- Wound Care Certification, 2022
- ACLS Certification, 2022
Hear from experts:
Optional Sections
As well as the main sections of a licensed vocational nurse resume, optional sections can help you prove your credentials to employers. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.
Personal Interests
Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.
Volunteering
Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for LVN roles beyond your main employment history. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.
References
It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard LVN resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.
References are available upon request.
Best strong verbs for your a licensed vocational nurse resume
Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Choose from the list of words below to increase the impact of your work experience section.
- Administered
- Assisted
- Collaborated
- Coordinated
- Documented
- Educated
- Implemented
- Monitored
- Performed
- Supervised
Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.
Example of a LVN resume
Now we've covered the main sections to include in your LVN resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:
124 Conch Street, Bikini Bottom, CA
•
emery.moore@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/emery–moore123
Dedicated and compassionate Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Proven experience in delivering high-quality patient care, administering medications, and collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Strong clinical skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to patient education and advocacy
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
2020
-2022
CarePulse Health Services (Pittsburgh)
- Administered medications and treatments to over 50 patients daily, ensuring adherence to prescribed regimens and monitoring for adverse reactions
- Developed and implemented individualized care plans, resulting in a 20% improvement in patient recovery times and overall satisfaction
- Trained and supervised a team of 10 nursing assistants, enhancing team efficiency and maintaining high standards of patient care
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
2017
-2020
Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)
Medication administration
Vital signs monitoring
Wound care management
Teamwork and collaboration
Communication proficiency
Empathy and compassion
IV Therapy Certification
Wound Care Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Key tips for a LVN resume
Simple tips for creating a winning resume
- Kick off your LVN resume with a strong summary or objective statement that highlights your key skills and achievements.
- Keep your LVN resume as brief as possible. Aim for one page for an entry-level role, and two pages for more senior jobs.
- Include key skills throughout your resume that reflect the job description, and include a dedicated skills section.
- Include your educational achievements, including any impressive grades. Focus on the most relevant qualifications for the role.
- Thoroughly proofread your resume before you send it, to make sure it's free from errors in spelling or grammar.
Things to avoid on your resume
- Don't use passive language because it can switch off the reader. Adapt phrases like 'the work was completed' to 'I completed the work'.
- Don't list work experience that has no relation to the role you're applying for. It wastes space and is unlikely to impress hiring managers.
- Don't use an email address that creates an unprofessional impression. Instead, create an email address for job applications based on your name.
- Don't lie or exaggerate about your LVN experience or achievements as it can harm your chances in the long term.
- Don't include personal details beyond your name, location and contact details. Adding your age, gender, nationality or a photo can create unwanted hiring bias.
How to make your resume ATS compliant
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. There are several things you can do when writing your LVN resume, to give yourself the strongest chance of ranking highly in the ATS stage and progressing through the recruitment process.
Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
- Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
- Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
- Make sure your resume is as concise as possible, so ATS applications can easily scan and identify the required details.
If you need help creating a professional resume, take a look at our expert career articles and variety of resume examples created by careers experts.
A LVN resume FAQs
Alongside your LVN resume, it's important to produce a professional cover letter that creates a similar positive impact on the reader.
Firstly, think about whether you want to write a full, formal cover letter or whether a brief email to introduce yourself and draw attention to your resume will suffice.
If you choose to write a full cover letter, follow traditional letter-writing conventions surrounding greetings, sign-offs and use of professional language. The body of the cover letter tends to be three paragraphs. The first introduces yourself and the role you're applying for, giving reasons for your application. The second briefly covers your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to LVN roles. Finally, the third paragraph re-emphasizes your interest in the role and leaves a call to action, encouraging the employer to reach out to you.
You can create a professional cover letter in just a few simple, easy-to-follow steps using Jobseeker's tried and tested cover letter templates.
There are plenty of ways to still make a positive impression with your LVN resume, even if you lack relevant work experience. Select a resume format that emphasizes your skills and education over your work experience, such as a functional format. Optional sections at the end of your resume can play a stronger role if you're lacking relevant work experience. Use certifications and training, hobbies and interests, volunteer roles and internships to show you've got the necessary skills for the job.
A strong resume headline can give the reader an immediate idea of your suitability for LVN jobs. Resume headlines can also help you pass the ATS stage of the selection process, by highlighting the job title and one or two key details. Write a few words to set the tone for your resume, including the job title, your experience or track record and one or two key skills that make you stand out.
Below you can see a resume headline example:
- Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Junior
- Compassionate Licensed Vocational Nurse
- Senior Licensed Vocational Nurse
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For roles where you're lacking experience, such as graduate jobs or career changes, you could use a functional or skills-based resume format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. For more senior roles where you have plenty of relevant experience, use a reverse chronological format. This resume structure places work experience at the heart of the document, using it as a showcase for your skills and achievements.
Key takeaways for your LVN resume
If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.
Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.
Sources:
(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
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