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Certified nurse practitioner skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Catharine Armentrout,

Donna Hallas PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN

Certified nurse practitioner example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical certified nurse practitioner skills. We ranked the top skills for certified nurse practitioners based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 39.8% of certified nurse practitioner resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a certified nurse practitioner needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 certified nurse practitioner skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use patients:

Provide Primary Care to ambulatory patients through comprehensive history taking, physical assessment and medications management.
Assessed and ordered appropriate testing and medications when indicated on acutely ill patients.

2. Primary Care

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use primary care:

Provided comprehensive health care for obstetrical and gynecological clients in a Primary Care Provider role.
Provide primary care for approximately 250 HIV/AIDS patients who present for care at the various County Health Departments surrounding Baltimore City.

3. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use vital signs:

Bathe, observed, evaluated and recorded changes in skin color, vital signs and mood.
Administer vital signs (Temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration).

4. Diagnostic Tests

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use diagnostic tests:

Completed diagnostic tests and collaborated with preceptor to prescribe medications.
Give injections or treatment and administer immunizations routine diagnostic tests.

5. Rehabilitation

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use rehabilitation:

Managed acute rehabilitation and skilled care inpatient population following orthopedic surgery until discharge.
Performed one on one rehabilitation exercises to Medicare patients.

6. Direct Patient Care

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use direct patient care:

Performed direct patient care,Assisting with activities of daily living.
Provide direct patient care Perform routine housekeeping duties Maintain a safe environment

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7. Crnp

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use crnp:

General Health Care Resources, contractor at Jefferson University Health System* Inpatient CRNP for ENT surgeons, temp assignment

8. Physical Exams

A physical examination occurs when a doctor or health care professional needs to determine or diagnose the patient's current condition. It is a method to know the patient's health's general status by assessing the physical pain symptoms and other health reasons that need to be treated right away.

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use physical exams:

Obtained adequate history and performed a thorough physical exam with appropriate medication or treatment intervention for present problem.
Perform physical examinations with emphasis on cardiovascular and thoracic systems; differentiate normal from abnormal clinical findings.

9. Home Health

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use home health:

Refer patients as needed for PT/OT, Home visiting doctor if needed, home health nursing, and pain management
Provided patient care with another coworker in a home health care setting.

10. Blood Pressure

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use blood pressure:

Assist with all ADL's, feedings, range of motion, vitals including blood pressures, tempertures.
Assisted resident with activities of daily living Charted blood pressure, bowel and bladder, food intake.

11. Quality Care

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use quality care:

Worked under the supervison of nurses to deilver high quality care to patients.
Assisted in quality care assurance management and tasks for state visit preparation.

12. Infection Control

Infection control describes the principles and practices used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to control and minimize the spread of infections with the aim of lowering rates of infection. Infection control refers to the process of detecting and controlling pathogens in order to reduce their spread.

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use infection control:

Follow clinic standards in patient billing, coding, policies, procedures, and environmental and infection control standards.
Utilized principles of infection control, cleanliness and hand washing to assure a safe, clean environment.

13. Medical Care

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use medical care:

Provide high health risk intervention, chronic condition management and occupational medical care services within the facility.
Assisted clients with all aspects of personal care, medical care, light domestic duties and general day to day tasks.

14. IV

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use iv:

Revised protocol for treatment IV contrast dye allergy to exclude certain PPI's with contaminant use of clopidogrel.
Administered IV and chemotherapy infusions.

15. ADL

ADL is a clinical shorthand for "activities of daily living." It includes tasks such as feeding, dressing, bathing, and caring for one's self and personal hygiene.

Here's how certified nurse practitioners use adl:

Assisted patients with ADL's as needed, maintaining a clean and safe environment.
Assisted residents with their daily ADL'S.

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What skills help Certified Nurse Practitioners find jobs?

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What skills stand out on certified nurse practitioner resumes?

Catharine Armentrout

Assistant Director of FNP Program, American International College

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with a Master's or Doctorate degree that allows one to practice in their chosen field. I am a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and my training prepared me to take care of patients in the community in primary care. I am Board certified to practice as an FNP. Family Nurse Practitioners can care for newborns to geriatric patients. Times have changed since I graduated, and most inpatient occupations for Nurse Practitioners require an Acute Care Board certification, which is a different learning track than the FNP program.

Knowing what jobs to apply for is the first step. Understand the area you want to work in and consider all aspects of the job to include distance to travel back and forth to work, schedule, benefits, CME's, PTO, employer reimbursement for licenses to include RN and NP licenses, DEA license (every 3 years), State registration to prescribe (not every state has this, but Massachusetts does (150 a year)), Board Certification renewal (every 5 years), training schedule and length of time to train, expected number of patients that will be seen per day once fully independent, loan repayment, tuition reimbursement and RVU's if applicable.

Skills that stand out on a Nurse Practitioner's resume should include:

Use of EMR's (i.e., EPIC), dictation applications like Dragon

Performing procedures including IV placement, Phlebotomy, punch biopsy for skin changes, I and D of wounds, suturing, wound care (wound vac, e.g.), Foley placement as you might be surprised what occurs in a primary care office

Ability to interpret EKG's, CXR's, lab results

Ability to identify skin changes, stages of wounds and develop treatment plans for wound care

Ability to reduce utilization of the emergency room via primary care/ telehealth and preventing hospitalizations when possible

Ability to review end of life decisions with patients and families, including MOLST, Advanced directives, Health Care Proxy

Having a good bedside manner, ability to speak to patients and families using language they can understand. Having the ability to follow through on previous visits regarding abnormal labs, diagnostic tests even if the results are normal and overall providing excellent customer service.

Knowing when to ask for help is always a strength. You will most likely be among very experienced providers, and they will know you care because you asked about something you were not sure about or requested a second opinion.

Nurse Practitioners, first starting out, will likely receive the starting pay rate for the area they are working in. Urban vs. Suburban vs. Rural areas will have, often, significant differences, and it is not always about the cost of living. The longer the FNP was a nurse before graduating may not have much impact on starting pay, but nursing experience and clinical experiences during graduate school should be noted on the resume to help the employer understand the true clinical background of the applicant.

Due to your research! Evaluate practices and check reviews. Network your colleagues and co-workers and think outside the box because your next job might be a dream come true!

What certified nurse practitioner skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Donna Hallas PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN

Clinical Professor & Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program Director, New York University

Major advice for new Nurse Practitioners is that learning continues in the first position, as it takes at least a year to see the various problems individuals present with in the practice. After that initial learning curve, dedication and commitment to being a life-long learner is essential to having a successful career. Become an active member of the particular nursing organization that is within your specialty, as that is one way to stay knowledgeable about changes in the profession.

Do you want to know more?

List of certified nurse practitioner skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a certified nurse practitioner resume and required skills for a certified nurse practitioner to have include:

Patients
Primary Care
Vital Signs
Diagnostic Tests
Rehabilitation
Direct Patient Care
Crnp
Physical Exams
Home Health
Blood Pressure
Quality Care
Infection Control
Medical Care
IV
ADL
Patient Education

Physical Therapy
Catheter
Medical History
Health Promotion
Diabetes
HIPAA
Skin Care
Pain Management
Prescribe Medications
Medical Equipment
Health Maintenance
EKG
Health Education
Pressure Ulcers
Resuscitation
Physical Assessments

Chronic Illnesses
Food Trays
Suturing
Bedpans
Lab Results
Internal Medicine
IUD
PAP Smears
Preventive Care
Chemotherapy
Ostomy Care
Alzheimer
Emotional Support
Fluid Intake
Hypertension

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Certified Nurse Practitioner Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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