What a LPN resume should lead with
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) jobs are in nursing homes, clinics, hospitals, rehab centers, and home health. A hiring manager for these jobs reads the top of your resume first, so put this there: LPN or LVN license (or NCLEX-PN status), clinical settings worked, and medication and assessment skills.
This is a licensed or certified job, so put a "Certifications and Licenses" section above your work history. If you are still in training, list it with the month you expect to finish.
Write your summary in two or three lines. Say the job you want, what you have done that fits it, and one thing that makes you reliable.
A sample LPN resume. Type your details and watch it fill in.
[Your name]
[City, State] · [your phone] · [your email]
Summary
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) with [number] years of [experience, clinicals or training]. [Your two strongest skills for this job, for example medication administration and wound care.] [One result you are proud of, with a number.]
Certifications and Licenses
- LPN license [date earned, or "expected Month Year"]
- LVN license [date earned, or "expected Month Year"]
- Passed the NCLEX-PN [date earned, or "expected Month Year"]
- Practical nursing program [date earned, or "expected Month Year"]
Experience
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), [Employer name], [City, State]
[Month Year] to [Month Year or Present]
- Gave medications and recorded them in the MAR [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Took vital signs and watched for changes [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Did wound care and dressing changes [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Wrote nursing notes and care updates [add how many, how often, or for whom].
- Worked with RNs and doctors on care plans [add how many, how often, or for whom].
[Your previous job title], [Employer name]
- [A duty from this job that also matters as a LPN, with a number.]
Skills
Medication administration · Wound care · Patient assessment · Charting and EHR · Care plans · Infection control · Patient education · Team leadership · charting · EHR
Nothing you type here is sent or saved. The template below is this layout as a Word file and a PDF, with tips for career changers.
Resume template
An LPN resume, laid out and ready to fill in
- The LPN duties, skills and the words hiring systems scan for, already in place.
- Blanks in [brackets] for your own facts, and tips for career changers.
- A Word file to edit and a PDF to send, emailed in minutes.
$4.99, one time
One payment. Nothing recurring. No account needed.
Credentials to list on a LPN resume
List only what you hold or are finishing. Put the state or issuing body and the year.
- LPN license
- LVN license
- Passed the NCLEX-PN
- Practical nursing program
- BLS (Basic Life Support)
- IV therapy certification
- State CNA certification
- Wound care certification
Example LPN resume lines
These are things people in this job really do. Use a line only if you did it, and add a number when you have one: how many patients, loads, orders or rooms, or how often.
- Gave medications and recorded them in the MAR
- Took vital signs and watched for changes
- Did wound care and dressing changes
- Wrote nursing notes and care updates
- Worked with RNs and doctors on care plans
- Supervised CNAs on the unit
- Taught patients and families about care at home
- Collected lab samples
- Completed clinical rotations in long-term care or a hospital
Skills and words employers look for in a LPN resume
Many employers search resumes by keyword, and recruiters skim for the same words. Use the ones that are true for you, spelled the way the job posting spells them.
Skills: Medication administration, Wound care, Patient assessment, Charting and EHR, Care plans, Infection control, Patient education, Team leadership, Time management, Patient privacy (HIPAA).
Words from LPN job postings: medication administration, patient assessment, wound care, care plans, charting, EHR, IV therapy, infection control, patient education, supervising CNAs, long-term care, HIPAA.
| Top skills to show | Words employers search for |
|---|---|
| Medication administration | medication administration |
| Wound care | patient assessment |
| Patient assessment | wound care |
| Charting and EHR | care plans |
| Care plans | charting |
| Infection control | EHR |
| Patient education | IV therapy |
| Team leadership | infection control |
| Time management | patient education |
| Patient privacy (HIPAA) | supervising CNAs |
What the job involves: O*NET 29-2061.00, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (US Department of Labor).
Coming to LPN work from another job
Your past work counts if you say what it shows. CNA and medical assistant work shows direct patient care; caregiving shows medication routines; leadership in any job shows supervising aides.
Never claim a duty you did not do. Say what you did in words this job uses.
If you still need the training, WIOA can pay for it if you qualify: see how WIOA pays for LPN training.
Next steps
- Get the LPN resume template, a Word file and a PDF laid out for this job, $4.99 one time.
- Have your own resume rewritten for one LPN job, using only what is on it, $14.99 one time.
- See LPN jobs near you and get your resume rewritten for each one. The first application each month is free.
- Practice the LPN interview questions out loud before you go in.
- Check your resume first with the free resume grader.