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Student nursing assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Janice Nash,

Marina Orobinskaia

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical student nursing assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for student nursing assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 27.4% of student nursing assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a student nursing assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 student nursing assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how student nursing assistants use patients:

Engaged autistic and developmentally disabled patients of the John Merck Inpatient Program in therapeutic, educational, and recreational activity groups
Worked with patients in a chemical dependent rehabilitation program and assessed psychiatric patients in a therapeutic milieu floor.

2. 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 student nursing assistants use vital signs:

Performed vital signs on residents/patients.
Performed nursing assistant, patient care duties including; blood glucose monitoring, obtaining specimens, weights, and vital signs.

3. Direct Supervision

Direct supervision is a term used to indicate that a person is supervising a certain task or a certain person while being physically present or in close proximity. It refers to the presence of a person and the availability of their supervision in something if it is needed.

Here's how student nursing assistants use direct supervision:

Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings or support bandages under direct supervision of nurse or physician.
Assigned to care for the patient population under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse.

4. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how student nursing assistants use cpr:

Assist with all emergency operational procedures including Initiate basic CPR in event of emergency situations related to dialysis treatment.
Skilled in activities of daily living, behavioral management, crisis prevention/intervention and CPR certified.

5. Patient Safety

Here's how student nursing assistants use patient safety:

Maintained patient safety to promote healing atmosphere.
Adhered to all safety guidelines and completed the SNF's three hours Patient Safety Training Program.

6. Blood Pressure

Here's how student nursing assistants use blood pressure:

Obtained and recorded temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure for residents.
Obtained temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.

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7. Rehabilitation

Here's how student nursing assistants use rehabilitation:

Assisted residents with rehabilitation activities such as ambulation and strength training.
Assist resident ambulation and transportation to rehabilitation or to appointments.

8. Direct Patient Care

Here's how student nursing assistants use direct patient care:

Delivered direct patient care in long-term care/rehab facility.
Provided direct and indirect patient care to a wide range of patients, floating to various units throughout the VAMC.

9. Blood Glucose

Here's how student nursing assistants use blood glucose:

Tested and recorded blood glucose levels.
Tested and recorded blood glucose level Medical/Surgical, Orthopaedics, Oncology, Telemerty.

10. Quality Care

Here's how student nursing assistants use quality care:

Participated with the health care team members to provide quality care.
Assist nurses and other team members in providing excellent quality care to all patients and families in a professional manner.

11. Patient Rooms

In a healthcare facility, the rooms that are specifically designed to provide a healthy and nurturing environment to a patient are called patient rooms. Patient rooms are equipped with all the basic medical appliances such as patient beds, ventilators, electrocardiograms, etc. Patients prior to or after surgery reside in the patient rooms that helps in recovering the health to normal.

Here's how student nursing assistants use patient rooms:

Changed linens, make-up beds and clean patient rooms.
Completed operational duties including patient room preparation, maintenance and meal and snack 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 student nursing assistants use infection control:

Initiated Foley catheters using proper infection control measures and sterile technique;maintained systems to prevent injury and infection.
Assisted in the aspects of patient care, including medications, safety, and infection control.

13. Physical Care

Here's how student nursing assistants use physical care:

Assist nurse(s) and direct care staff with various resident care activities by providing physical care and clinical interventions.
Assist the nurse and staff with physical care and interventions specific to the client needs.

14. Catheter

Here's how student nursing assistants use catheter:

Assisted nursing staff in maintaining indwelling catheters, wound cleaning, administering enemas, monitoring IVs and tube feedings.
Insert and discontinue foley catheters.

15. Home Health

Here's how student nursing assistants use home health:

Provided in-home health care and management of daily living skills and patient activities; documented and interpreted confidential records and patient information
Experienced medical receptionist with customer service experience in working within home health settings.

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What skills help Student Nursing Assistants find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on student nursing assistant resumes?

Janice Nash

Professor, Director of the Undergraduate Nursing Program, Carlow University

Graduates who had internships or experience working in healthcare in addition to the required clinical courses are at an advantage. An applicant who highlights their ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and problem-solve will be noticed.

What soft skills should all student nursing assistants possess?

Marina Orobinskaia

Program Coordinator, Bellevue College

Friendliness, positive energy, leadership.

What hard/technical skills are most important for student nursing assistants?

Marina Orobinskaia

Program Coordinator, Bellevue College

There are no more or less important skills. You need to learn all of them to excellence and what is most important - use your critical thinking when you do them.

What student nursing assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Amy Bruce

Chair, Program Director, University of Charleston

If a gap year is taken in nursing school, the student should try to work as a Certified Nurse Assistant or Nurse Extern. This will keep them in the field and keep their experiences and current knowledge fresh until he or she can return to school.

What type of skills will young student nursing assistants need?

Dr. Linda Roney

Associate Professor, Fairfield University

New graduates need to have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially during times of uncertainty. For example, many of our 2019 graduates were deployed to float to areas of need throughout the pandemic. Because they had full, personal protective equipment on, their new work area could not read facial expressions or body language to try to guess the nurse's level of comfort with their new setting. They had to quickly learn to speak up about what their learning needs were, and how to best advocate for their patients.

What technical skills for a student nursing assistant stand out to employers?

Bethany Nasser Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Endicott College

They will need medical training.

Do you want to know more?

List of student nursing assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a student nursing assistant resume and required skills for a student nursing assistant to have include:

Patients
Vital Signs
Direct Supervision
CPR
Patient Safety
Blood Pressure
Rehabilitation
Direct Patient Care
Blood Glucose
Quality Care
Patient Rooms
Infection Control
Physical Care
Catheter
Home Health
ADL

HIPAA
Patient Care
Bed Linens
Emotional Support
IV
Medical Terminology
Care Plan
Patient Transfers
Fluid Intake
Medical-Surgical Nursing
EKG
Fresh Water
Oral Hygiene
ICU
Oral Care
Patient Behavior

Medication Administration
Routine Care
Nail Care
Hygiene Care
Alzheimer
ROM
Urinals
Mouth Care
Medical History
Bedpans
Elderly Residents
Epic
Motion Exercises
Bed Baths

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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