Nurse resume skills and keywords
In 379 Nurse job postings from 134 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (65 %), Patient care (56 %), Compassion (55 %), RN license (52 %) and EHR (30 %). Of the top 40 skills, 26 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 14 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 Nurse job postings
| Skill | Share of postings | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 65 % | Soft skill |
| Patient care | 56 % | Hard skill |
| Compassion | 55 % | Soft skill |
| RN license | 52 % | Certification |
| EHR | 30 % | Tool |
| BLS | 28 % | Certification |
| Collaboration | 28 % | Soft skill |
| Driver license | 25 % | Certification |
| CPR | 24 % | Certification |
| Leadership | 23 % | Soft skill |
| Critical thinking | 16 % | Soft skill |
| Medication administration | 16 % | Hard skill |
| Compassionate Care | 15 % | Hard skill |
| ACLS | 15 % | Certification |
| Teamwork | 15 % | Soft skill |
| Clinical Judgment | 15 % | Hard skill |
| Vital signs | 14 % | Hard skill |
| Attention to detail | 14 % | Soft skill |
| Interpersonal skills | 14 % | Soft skill |
| HIPAA | 14 % | Certification |
| Patient-Centered Care | 13 % | Hard skill |
| Problem Solving | 12 % | Soft skill |
| Case management | 12 % | Hard skill |
| Flexibility | 12 % | Soft skill |
| Empathy | 12 % | Soft skill |
| Triage | 12 % | Hard skill |
| Wound care | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Clinical Documentation | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Care Coordination | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Mentoring | 10 % | Soft skill |
| Behavioral health | 10 % | Hard skill |
| Care planning | 10 % | Hard skill |
| Organizational skills | 10 % | Soft skill |
| Patient assessment | 9 % | Hard skill |
| Pediatric | 9 % | Hard skill |
| Orientation | 9 % | Hard skill |
| State license | 9 % | Certification |
| Discharge planning | 8 % | Hard skill |
| Patient Safety | 8 % | Hard skill |
| Time Management | 8 % | Soft skill |
Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications
Hard skills (18)
- Patient care 56 %
- Medication administration 16 %
- Compassionate Care 15 %
- Clinical Judgment 15 %
- Vital signs 14 %
- Patient-Centered Care 13 %
- Case management 12 %
- Triage 12 %
- Wound care 11 %
- Clinical Documentation 11 %
- Care Coordination 11 %
- Behavioral health 10 %
- Care planning 10 %
- Patient assessment 9 %
- Pediatric 9 %
- Orientation 9 %
- Discharge planning 8 %
- Patient Safety 8 %
Soft skills (14)
- Communication 65 %
- Compassion 55 %
- Collaboration 28 %
- Leadership 23 %
- Critical thinking 16 %
- Teamwork 15 %
- Attention to detail 14 %
- Interpersonal skills 14 %
- Problem Solving 12 %
- Flexibility 12 %
- Empathy 12 %
- Mentoring 10 %
- Organizational skills 10 %
- Time Management 8 %
Tools and software (1)
- EHR 30 %
Certifications and licenses (7)
- RN license 52 %
- BLS 28 %
- Driver license 25 %
- CPR 24 %
- ACLS 15 %
- HIPAA 14 %
- State license 9 %
Keyword phrases recruiters use
Multi-word phrases that recur across these nurse postings, with the share of postings that use each one.
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 Nurse resume example. Then prepare for the Nurse interview questions that test them.
Build a nurse resume with these skills
Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.