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Nurse Practitioner skills for your resume and career

Updated June 25, 2024
8 min read
Quoted Experts
Kathleen Sellers Ph.D.,
Amy Grugan Ph.D.
Nurse Practitioner Example Skills

A nurse practitioner needs a range of hard skills to excel in their role. These include extensive experience in healthcare and patient care, both in schooling and professional settings. They must be well-trained in performing diagnostic tests and making diagnoses. Proficiency in Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) is also crucial. According to Catharine Armentrout, Assistant Director of FNP Program at American International College, "Skills that stand out on a Nurse Practitioner's resume should include. Use of EMR's (i.e., EPIC), dictation applications like Dragon."

On the other hand, soft skills are equally important for a nurse practitioner. They need strong empathy above all else, and a willingness to advocate for the patients in their care. As Pam Fifer, Associate Dean at George Fox University, puts it, "New graduates need to be flexible, adaptable, and resilient. Health care is constantly changing with new technologies, evidence, and innovations always on the horizon. Graduates also need strong clinical judgment and communication skills."

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical nurse practitioner skills. We ranked the top skills for nurse practitioners based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 28.7% of nurse practitioner resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a nurse practitioner needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 nurse practitioner skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Patients are individuals who receive medical care and attention from a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners use patients by performing physical examinations, taking medical histories, and creating treatment plans. They also provide education to patients and their families. They monitor patients' conditions, refer them to other specialists when necessary, and administer medication. They work with patients of all ages, from adolescents to geriatrics, and provide care in various settings, such as retail clinics and medical spas.

Here's how nurse practitioners use patients:
  • Performed and interpreted diagnostics tests, reviewed status of recommended preventative screenings, referred patients out for additional treatment when necessary.
  • Conducted extensive history and physical examination, carry out treatment plan, and provided detailed education to patients and family.

2. Diagnosis

Diagnosis is the process of identifying a disease or condition by its signs, symptoms, and laboratory test results. Nurse practitioners use diagnosis to determine the cause of a patient's symptoms and develop an appropriate treatment plan. They assess patients, order diagnostic tests, analyze the results, and use this information to develop a working diagnosis. They also educate patients about their diagnosis, treatment options, and medications.

Here's how nurse practitioners use diagnosis:
  • Provided comprehensive primary care to adult male population at Belmont County Correctional Facility including chronic and acute disease diagnosis and management.
  • Position required assessment, diagnosis, work-up and interpretation of diagnostics, in addition to effectively communicating with all physicians.

3. Home Health

Home health is a type of care that is provided in a patient's home. Nurse practitioners use home health to perform health assessments, provide education on chronic diseases, and coordinate patient care with other agencies. They also use it to bridge the gap between a patient's home and a doctor's office, and to provide overall care in the home health environment.

Here's how nurse practitioners use home health:
  • Performed in-home health risk assessments for Medicare Advantage patients
  • Nurse Practitioner home healthy assessments/preventive care

4. Diagnostic Tests

Diagnostic tests are medical procedures that help identify and diagnose diseases. Nurse practitioners use diagnostic tests to evaluate patients' conditions. They order these tests, interpret the results, and use the information to develop treatment plans. They manage chronic diseases, prescribe medications, and schedule referrals and therapy based on the test results. They also use these tests to identify and address abnormal lab results and other issues.

Here's how nurse practitioners use diagnostic tests:
  • Formulated treatment plans based on diagnostic tests and provided recommendations about diabetes and lipid management to both patients and the endocrinologist.
  • Treat physical, gynecological and mental conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, and ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests.

5. Acute Care

Acute care is a type of healthcare provided to patients with serious or life-threatening conditions. Nurse practitioners use acute care in various ways, such as formulating and implementing treatment plans in collaboration with physicians, assessing patients in acute care settings, and providing primary and acute care services in community health settings. They also use acute care to treat patients in facilities to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, and to provide comprehensive care including yearly physical exams, episodic/acute care, and medical management.

Here's how nurse practitioners use acute care:
  • Formulated and implemented appropriate treatment plans in collaboration with attending and consulting physicians for hospitalized patients in various acute care settings.
  • Assess urology patients in the acute care setting, completing consultations of new admissions and daily examinations of existing hospitalized patients.

6. EMR

EMR, or Electronic Medical Records, is a digital platform that stores patients' medical information. Nurse practitioners use EMR to document patient visits, order treatments, and prescribe medications. They also use it for billing and coding purposes. EMR is also used to track progress, identify potential issues, and implement quality improvement initiatives. It's an essential tool for nurse practitioners to efficiently manage patient care and maintain accurate records.

Here's how nurse practitioners use emr:
  • Assumed lead responsibilities for EMR adoption and Medical Home designation endeavors.
  • Experience with EMR Join Commission representative for Minute clinics re-accreditation.

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7. Medical Care

Medical care is the act of providing health-related services to individuals. Nurse practitioners use medical care by providing primary care to patients, assessing their conditions, and determining the best course of action. They offer treatment, monitor patients' progress, and educate them on how to manage their health. They also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure patients receive comprehensive care.

Here's how nurse practitioners use medical care:
  • Provided primary medical care to children and adolescents receiving inpatient psychiatric care and performed admission history and physicals for hospital admissions.
  • Demonstrated competence and independence in providing inpatient and outpatient medical care in a large internal medicine practice in rural Michigan.

8. Urgent Care

Urgent care is a type of medical service that provides immediate, non-emergency care to patients. Nurse practitioners use urgent care by providing coverage for physicians in various settings, collaborating with other healthcare professionals, and managing urgent care patients independently or with physician collaboration. They also participate in developing clinical quality programs and maintaining resources through collaborative efforts.

Here's how nurse practitioners use urgent care:
  • Provided coverage for physicians in a large Internal Medicine practice in various settings including urgent care clinic and Pulmonary/sleep disorders clinic.
  • Collaborate with urgent care physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary team along with referring patients for specialty consultation.

9. Patient Education

Patient education is the process of teaching patients about their health conditions, treatment options, and self-care. Nurse practitioners use patient education to help patients understand their health needs and make informed decisions about their care. They provide education on disease prevention, health promotion, medication, nutrition, and lifestyle changes, among other topics. They also use patient education to manage episodic illnesses, chronic diseases, and post-treatment care.

Here's how nurse practitioners use patient education:
  • Monitored arterial access sites, removed sheaths, managed medications, individualized patient education and participated and ran codes if necessary.
  • Assist two physicians in a hematology/oncology practice by examining patients, providing patient education, administering chemotherapy and supervising clinical staff.

10. Compassion

Compassion is the ability to understand and respect the feelings of others. Nurse practitioners use compassion to provide care to their patients and families. They display empathy and understanding, keeping families informed of patient status and making patients as comfortable as possible. As Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow Ph.D., Dean and Professor at Duquesne University's School of Nursing, puts it, "Students will need. compassion, cultural awareness, clinical reasoning, and patient advocacy skills."

Here's how nurse practitioners use compassion:
  • Show compassion when dealing with family members, keeping families informed of patient status.
  • Establish realistic, measurable goals while providing compassion and the highest quality care.

11. Medical History

Medical history is a record of a patient's health information. Nurse practitioners use this record to understand a patient's health and make informed decisions. They obtain this information through research, interviews, and physical examinations. They then use this information to provide counseling, education, and treatment.

Here's how nurse practitioners use medical history:
  • Obtained medical history, performed physical exams, ordered and interpreted laboratory tests, and prescribed bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.
  • Performed patient examinations with in-depth medical history review, primarily focusing on chronic health issues and pain management.

12. Health Promotion

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. Nurse practitioners use health promotion by providing patient-centered education, focusing on disease prevention and proper medication usage. They also provide well-child care, including immunizations and anticipatory guidance, and educate patients on health promotion and disease prevention. Additionally, they use community services to facilitate health promotion, quality of life, and patient safety.

Here's how nurse practitioners use health promotion:
  • Provide well-child care including immunizations, anticipatory guidance, and health promotion education to the pediatric population and their families.
  • Develop strategies to deliver health promotion programs to youth including presentation of relevant harm reduction strategies to vulnerable youth population.

13. Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is the process of helping someone recover from an illness or injury. Nurse practitioners use rehabilitation to help their patients recover and regain strength. They manage individualized care plans, prescribe physical therapy, and provide consultations for continence care assessments. They also participate in discharge planning and educate patients and their families about inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.

Here's how nurse practitioners use rehabilitation:
  • Prescribed age-specific physical therapy and rehabilitation.
  • Manage appropriate changes to individualized care plan to ensure cost and time efficacy in an outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation office.

14. Direct Patient Care

Direct patient care is the process of providing medical attention to patients. Nurse practitioners use direct patient care by collaborating with physicians to manage acute and chronic conditions, providing care for patients with varying acuity levels, and performing procedures related to patient care. As Ivy Razmus Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy Aquinas, puts it, "Not all positions are direct patient care, there is a need for computer literate professionals who can help with developing new ways of communicating and interacting with patients and other health care professionals in addition to capturing data and analyzing it for measuring outcomes."

Here's how nurse practitioners use direct patient care:
  • Functioned collaboratively with physicians to provide direct patient care in the ambulatory health setting, managing acute and chronic conditions.
  • Provided direct and indirect patient care services under written and approved standardized procedures;

15. FNP

FNP stands for Family Nurse Practitioner. Nurse practitioners use FNP by providing health care in clinics, managing and treating patients, and overseeing clinic staff. They also precept FNP students and serve as clinical site instructors for FNP students from colleges and universities.

Here's how nurse practitioners use fnp:
  • Total hours over 650 FNP I - FNP IV Clinical FNP rotations in primary care, pediatric and family practice clinics.
  • Average 20-25 patients a day; oversaw a clinic staff of 4; precept 1 FNP student a day.
top-skills

What skills help Nurse Practitioners find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on Nurse Practitioner resumes?

Kathleen Sellers Ph.D.Kathleen Sellers Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Professor of Nursing, SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Skill sets that are particularly needed include systems thinking, finance proficiency, informatics, change management experience with the goal of enhanced clinical quality, and exquisite communication skills.

What Nurse Practitioner skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Amy Grugan Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Nursing, Bradley University

Presently, there is a nursing shortage, so finding employment as a nurse may not be an issue. While nursing graduates might not get hired into their "ideal" job, they should consider taking employment in an area that may not be of their first interest in order to gain experience. In turn, they will gain a greater appreciation for a new role.

What type of skills will young Nurse Practitioners need?

Pam FiferPam Fifer LinkedIn Profile

College of Nursing, George Fox University

New graduates need to be flexible, adaptable, and resilient. Health care is constantly changing with new technologies, evidence, and innovations always on the horizon. Graduates also need strong clinical judgment and communication skills.

What technical skills for a Nurse Practitioner stand out to employers?

Ivy Razmus Ph.D.Ivy Razmus Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor, University of Detroit Mercy Aquinas

I think informatics and data management are essential in today's health care market. Administration of vaccines, documentation of interventions, and accurate medication administration. In some states, they don't have enough Registered Nurses so they are using LPNs to perform many duties such as medication administration, overseeing the care of direct caregivers. During this pandemic, we are using medically trained national guard members to administer the vaccines. They are often using paramedics and emergency medical technicians in the emergency departments.

What soft skills should all Nurse Practitioners possess?

Regina Cardaci Ph.D.Regina Cardaci Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

Critical thinking and creative problem solving
-Patience
-Empathy
-Communication
-Resilience.
-Attitude and confidence
-Teamwork

List of nurse practitioner skills to add to your resume

Nurse Practitioner Skills

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

  • Patients
  • Diagnosis
  • Home Health
  • Diagnostic Tests
  • Acute Care
  • EMR
  • Medical Care
  • Urgent Care
  • Patient Education
  • Compassion
  • Medical History
  • Health Promotion
  • Rehabilitation
  • Direct Patient Care
  • FNP
  • Nursing Home
  • Physical Exams
  • PCP
  • Internal Medicine
  • Palliative Care
  • Family Practice
  • Laboratory Tests
  • Disease Prevention
  • Prescribe Medications
  • Suturing
  • Chronic Disease Management
  • Diagnostic Studies
  • Health Maintenance
  • ICU
  • Excellent Interpersonal
  • Medical Management
  • Health Education
  • Primary Care
  • Physical Assessments
  • Physical Therapy
  • Drug Enforcement Administration
  • Diabetes
  • Registered Nursing
  • Resuscitation
  • Discharge Planning
  • Chronic Illnesses
  • Social Work
  • Disease Process
  • GYN
  • Pain Management
  • Physical Findings
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Working Independently
  • OB

Updated June 25, 2024

Zippia Research Team
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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