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Certified Nursing Assistant resume skills and keywords

In 107 Certified Nursing Assistant job postings from 31 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Compassion (63 %), Communication (39 %), Vital signs (32 %), CNA certification (29 %) and Patient care (27 %). Of the top 40 skills, 27 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 13 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Certified Nursing Assistant job postings

Skills requested in 107 Certified Nursing Assistant job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Compassion63 %Soft skill
Communication39 %Soft skill
Vital signs32 %Hard skill
CNA certification29 %Certification
Patient care27 %Hard skill
Toileting25 %Hard skill
CPR25 %Certification
Collaboration21 %Soft skill
Personal Care21 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills18 %Soft skill
Driver license17 %Certification
Light housekeeping16 %Hard skill
Teamwork13 %Soft skill
Compassionate Care13 %Hard skill
Laundry12 %Hard skill
Charting11 %Hard skill
Orientation11 %Hard skill
BLS10 %Certification
Empathy10 %Soft skill
Flexibility10 %Soft skill
Behavioral health10 %Hard skill
Infection control9 %Hard skill
Body mechanics8 %Hard skill
Wound care7 %Hard skill
Certified Medical Assistant7 %Certification
EHR7 %Tool
Patience7 %Soft skill
Tablets7 %Hard skill
Healthcare Management7 %Hard skill
Board certified7 %Certification
Talent acquisition7 %Hard skill
Problem Solving7 %Soft skill
Housing7 %Hard skill
Pediatric6 %Hard skill
Customer service6 %Soft skill
Bilingual6 %Soft skill
Resident Dignity5 %Hard skill
Time Management5 %Soft skill
Mentoring5 %Soft skill
IV therapy5 %Hard skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (20)

Soft skills (13)

Tools and software (1)

Certifications and licenses (6)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these certified nursing assistant postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

bathing dressing 26 %dressing grooming 21 %home health 18 %personal hygiene 17 %plans assist 15 %providing compassionate 14 %report changes 13 %current cpr 13 %meaningful relationships 13 %assisted living 12 %grooming toileting 11 %tuition reimbursement 11 %resident family 10 %family while 10 %living bathing 10 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Certified Nursing Assistant resume example. Then prepare for the Certified Nursing Assistant interview questions that test them.

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Certified Nursing Assistant resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Certified Nursing Assistant resume?

In 107 Certified Nursing Assistant job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Compassion (63 %), Communication (39 %), Vital signs (32 %), CNA certification (29 %) and Patient care (27 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Certified Nursing Assistant resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 13 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Compassion (63 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Certified Nursing Assistant postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were CNA certification (29 %), CPR (25 %), Driver license (17 %), BLS (10 %), Certified Medical Assistant (7 %) and EHR (7 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 107 public Certified Nursing Assistant job postings at 31 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (81), Lever (25) and Ashby (1). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 107. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 107 public job postings for certified nursing assistant roles (titles such as Certified Nursing Assistant - CNA/STNA, Travel Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Certified Nursing Assistant) at 31 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 81, Lever 25 and Ashby 1. Employers in the sample include BAYADA Home Health Care, National Lutheran Communities & Services, Ennoble Care, Otterbein SeniorLife, MedElite Group, LLC. and Bethesda Health Group. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 107. Updated quarterly. Download the data: cna-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.