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Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Resume Sample & 20+ Tips

Create Your Resume Now

Our customers have been hired by:

You’re a skilled Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), ready to provide top-notch patient care. But first, you need to administer some TLC to your resume. Our LPN Resume Sample Guide is the prescription you've been searching for! 

This article will help you create a resume that stands out like a perfectly placed bandage in a sea of gauze. So, let's get started on healing your job search woes!

This guide will show you:

  • An LPN resume better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
  • How to write an LPN resume that will land you more interviews.
  • Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on LPN resumes.
  • How to prepare the best LPN resume job description section to get any job you want.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Need more specific advice? Switch over to:

LPN Resume Example

Marta Johnson

Licensed Practical Nurse

(123) 456-7890

martajohnson@email.com

linkedin.com/in/marta.johnson

Summary

Compassionate and dependable Licensed Practical Nurse with over 5 years of experience. Seeking to support the team at CareWell Nursing Home in providing excellent patient care and improving patient satisfaction scores by leveraging strong communication skills. Increased patient compliance with care regimens by 30% at HealthPlus Medical Clinic.

Experience

Licensed Practical Nurse

HealthPlus Medical Clinic, Seattle, WA

June 2016–Present

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

  • Providing primary nursing care to patients, including dressing, bathing, IV administration, and medication management.
  • Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to develop comprehensive care plans.
  • Educating patients and their families on disease prevention and post-hospital treatment.
  • Monitoring and documenting each patient's progress, making recommendations tailored to them.

Key Achievement:

  • Created an educational program that increased patient compliance with care regimens by 30%.

Licensed Practical Nurse

Compassionate Care Hospice, Seattle, WA

August 2014–May 2016

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

  • Provided end-of-life care to patients in their homes, maintaining their comfort and quality of life.
  • Assisted families with patient care and offered emotional support.
  • Designed activities to entertain patients in their homes.

Key Achievement:

  • Recognized with the "Nurse of the Year" award in 2015 for reaching a satisfaction rate of 98%, the highest in the company.

Education

Associate of Applied Science in Practical Nursing

Seattle Central College, Seattle, WA

September 2012–June 2014

Skills

  • Patient Care
  • Medication Administration
  • Patient Education
  • IV Insertion
  • Compassionate
  • Dependable
  • Teamwork
  • Communication Skills

Certifications

  • Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Washington State, 2014
  • CPR Certification, American Red Cross, 2014

Languages

  • English—Native proficiency
  • Spanish—Intermediate proficiency

Interests

  • Certified yoga instructor with 5+ years of experience.
  • Organized multiple fundraising events to raise money for animal shelters. Helped increase donations by 20%.

1. What’s the Best Format for an LPN Resume?

The best format for your LPN resume? The chronological resume format. Why? It puts your work history, achievements, and skills in the spotlight.

Plus, most recruiters are familiar with it, so your resume will be easy to navigate and readily accessible. Just like a well-organized hospital ward.

When writing a resume for LPN positions remember:

  • Embrace white space.
  • Don’t cram in too much.
  • Choose a resume-friendly font.
  • Write reader-friendly headings.

Export your LPN resume as PDF. This way its formatting will stay intact on all computer systems and mobile devices.

Now, let’s move on to the first section of your LPN resume.

Still in doubt what’s the best format for your LPN resume? Read our guide: Best Resume Format for a Job: Which to Choose?

2. LPN Resume Objective or Summary?

Here’s the thing: LPNs know where to look on a patient’s health record to learn as much as possible in as little time as possible. The same is true about recruiters. They only spend seconds scanning LPN resumes to learn as much as possible about the candidate.

First, they glance upon your LPN resume objective or summary. Here’s how the two differ:

  • LPN resume objective puts your skills in the limelight and explains why you’re a great fit. Resume objectives work best for candidates with limited professional experience.
  • LPN resume summary, as the name suggests, is a summary of your professional life and key achievements. Resume summaries are best for LPNs with at least a couple of years of experience under their belt.

LPN Resume Sample—New Graduate Objective

right
A friendly and qualified LPN with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from New York University (GPA 3.8). Eager to join St. Mary’s Hospital to offer compassionate nursing care to the patients. Previous experience as an intern in a 20-bed high-turnover Intensive Care Unit. Skilled in wound dressing and familiar with EMR software.
wrong
A fresh graduate of NY University wishing to develop professionally in a fast-paced hospital environment.

The first candidate is much better at showing off their hard skills. Their LPN resume objective starts with strong character traits, gives an overview of their educational background and academic achievements.

Plus, it identifies the employer by name, says what the candidate can offer, and mentions their relevant skills. In contrast—the other candidate’s LPN resume objective looks like a generic text that could be easily pasted into any kind of resume.

LPN Resume Summary—Examples

right
Compassionate and patient-focused LPN with 10+ years of professional experience in providing ambulatory care. Eager to support St. Mary’s Hospital by offering the patients’ top-class services and helping the staff realize strategic plans. Skilled at monitoring and sterilizing medical equipment as well as electronic patient charting systems. Repeatedly recognized for the quality of service in Patient Satisfaction Surveys.
wrong
An LPN with 10+ years of professional experience wishes to join the nursing staff and keep developing professionally.

Again, the wrong example doesn’t communicate much. In short—it fails to show the candidate’s motivated enough to even write a compelling opening section.

Try this proven formula to nail your LPN resume summary every time:

  1. Begin with adjectives describing your strong traits.
  2. Focus on your track record.
  3. Specify your experience and skills.
  4. Show off your biggest achievement(s).

And:

  1. Quantify what’s possible.

Not sure you really know how to nail your LPN resume objective or summary? Read our dedicated articles that will guide you step by step.

3. The Best LPN Job Description for a Resume

Do you know what makes you stand out from the crowd of 250+ applicants for the same position? Your experience. So let’s make sure your LPN job description delivers like a shot of epinephrine. First, take a good look at the LPN jobs available online.

Find one that matches your level of experience and qualifications. And once you do, format your LPN resume following these guidelines:

  • Start with your latest position, follow it with the previous one, and so on.
  • Put your job title, company name, and dates worked.
  • List up to 6-7 bullet points for each position.
  • Try to present your responsibilities as achievements and be specific.
  • Quantify what you can. Numbers speak louder than words.
  • Tailor your resume to the job.

Here’s what your LPN job description for a resume could look like:

LPN Job Description—Resume Example

right

LPN
St. Andrew’s Hospital, New York City, NY

2014–

  • Provided post-op care for patients, such as post-surgical wound treatment, pain management, and infection treatment.
  • Provided patients with basic care or treatments, including taking temperature or blood pressure, giving enemas or douches, or performing catheterizations.
  • Observed patients and reported concerns to an RN or physician on duty.
  • Distributed medications to patients in proper doses, recorded times of administration to ensure ongoing accuracy.
  • Tested blood glucose and administered insulin.
  • Administered breathing treatments and provided tracheostomy care and suctioning, SVN treatment and O2 administration.

Key achievement:

  • Recognized for the quality of service: consistently scored over 90% in Quarterly Patient Satisfaction Surveys.

To make a great impression on the recruiter, you must show you’ve got exactly what it takes to succeed in the role. So use the original job ad as a reference point for your experience section.

Use the phrasing from the original job in case the employer uses the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). When describing your experience use resume action words—they will highlight your LVN skills.

If you find it hard to put a number on each and every LPN job description bullet, fret not. Simply pick out 1-3 achievements you’re proud of and list them under a key achievements heading below your responsibilities.

Just like you can see in the example above.

Finally—here’ s a wrong example for you to see what your LPN job description for resume should not look like:

wrong

LPN

  • Responsible for treating patients.
  • Responsible for observing patients and performing tests.
  • Skilled in a variety of procedures.
  • Liked by patients and doctors alike.

Remember: a hypoventilated job description will effectively depress the recruiter.

What about an LPN resume with no experience?

In resume writing, there’s only one rule. Leave no section empty. If you’re applying for an LPN position you must have some experience. Think of your:

  1. Internships,
  2. Voluntary work,
  3. Student practice.

Plus, think of all the activities that let you develop your interpersonal skills.

Not sure how to go about creating your entry-level LPN resume? Read our guide on how to make your First Resume with No Work Experience

Making a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a resume ready in minutes.

When you’re done, our professional resume builder will score your resume and our ATS resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. How to Put LPN Skills on a Resume

It’s no secret—your skills are just as vital as your experience. The good news is—if your LPN job description is done as it should, you’ve already presented quite a number of skills.

Let’s give your job description one more look:

Sample LPN Resume—Skills in a Job Description

right

LPN

St. Andrew’s Hospital, New York City, NY

2014–

  • Provided post-op care for patients, such as post-surgical wound treatment, pain management, and infection treatment.
  • Provided patients with basic care and treatments, including taking temperature or blood pressure, giving enemas or douches, or performing catheterizations.
  • Observed patients and reported concerns to an RN or physician on duty.
  • Distributed medications to patients in proper doses, recorded times of administration to ensure ongoing accuracy.
  • Tested blood glucose and administered insulin.
  • Administered breathing treatments and provided tracheotomy care and suctioning, SVN treatment and O2 administration.

Key achievement:

  • Recognized for the quality of service: consistently scored over 90% in Quarterly Patient Satisfaction Surveys.

Once we remove all the extra parts and focus on the essence, this is what we’re left with:

Sample Resume for LPN—Skills

In short—the skills the hiring manager is looking for are already on your LPN resume. But you can give them more prominence.

Cherry-pick the skills you really take pride in, then take another look at the job offer to see if there are other skills the employer lists as crucial to the role. Note them down.

Now, look at the entire list, identify your strongest LPN skills and put them in a separate key skills section.

Pro Tip: List a maximum of 10 skills and stick to the ones you’re great at to avoid the so-called presenter’s paradox.

Let the list below be your source of inspiration:

LPN Skills for Resume—List

  • Wound care
  • Tracheostomy suction and care
  • Stages I-IV pressure sore care
  • Admitting and discharging
  • Meditech documentation
  • Patient/family education
  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • PICC Line care
  • GI feeding and tubes
  • Care plan assessment
  • Pre-death monitoring
  • Acute and rehabilitative care
  • Glucose checks and blood pressure monitoring
  • PEG tube
  • Nebulizers

Remember:

To present your LPN skills on your resume in the most effective way:

  • Sprinkle your entire LPN resume with them.
  • List up to 10 of your best skills.
  • Focus exclusively on relevant skills.

Based on an analysis of 11 million resumes created using our builder, we discovered that:

  • Licensed Practical Nurses usually list 22.6 skills on their resumes.
  • The most common skills for Licensed Practical Nurses are decision-making, CPR/AED, time management, wound care, and dementia knowledge and care.
  • Resumes for Licensed Practical Nurses are, on average, 3.1 pages long.

Not sure what skills would work best on your resume? Read our guide: 99 Key Skills for a Resume (Best List of Examples for All Types of Jobs)

5. Is Your Education Section Malnourished? It Might Be

Here’s the thing: Education matters. Without it, you wouldn’t even have considered applying for an LPN job.

So, make sure to include all relevant schools, licenses, and certifications:

LPN Resume Template—Education

right

Associate’s Degree in Nursing

New York University, New York, NY

2008

LPN Resume Sample—Licenses and Certifications

  • Licensed Practical Nurse—Licence #34587610
  • CPR and Basic Life Support Certification
  • IV Certification

Fresh out of college? Not sure how to go about the education section on your LPN resume? Read our guide: How to List Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

6. How About an LPN Cover Letter?

Cover letters are still beneficial. About 50% of recruiters expect your resume to be accompanied by a cover letter.

Why? A well-written cover letter proves your communication skills and introduces the person behind the achievements on the resume.

To make your LPN resume cover letter stand out:

  1. Keep it short and sweet.
  2. Use it to fill in the gaps left out in your resume.
  3. Organize it well and write it clearly.

Simple. The problem begins when you sit down to writing it. Don’t panic. Read our guide on how to write a perfect cover letter.

If you need super-detailed advice, head straight to one of our specialized guides:

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

There’s more to writing an LPN nurse resume than listing your LPN duties and skills. To write a Licensed Practical Nurse resume that land jobs:

  1. Choose an elegant LPN resume template.
  2. Start with a snappy LPN resume objective or summary.
  3. Craft a great LPN job description section.
  4. Focus on your achievements.
  5. Pick out your strongest skills.
  6. Tailor your LPN resume to the job offer.
  7. List all your relevant licenses and certifications.
  8. Write a captivating cover letter.

And—prepare for the interview.

Are you a new graduate writing your first LPN resume with no experience? Or perhaps you’ve written a couple of LPN resumes and you’re eager to help the freshers out? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comment below!

Read some more resume guides that might interest you:

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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

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Maciej Duszyński, CPRW
Maciej is a career expert and Certified Professional Resume Writer with a solid background in the education management industry. He's worked with people at all stages of their career paths: from interns to directors to C-suite members, he now helps you find your dream job.
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