LPN Resume Guide: Examples, Templates, & Tips

As an LPN you’re skilled in planning and managing the care of your patients, but do you know how to check the vital signs of your resume? Our tailored resume templates can help you diagnose the problems in your career and nurse it back to full health!

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ResumeGiants Team
Written by
ResumeGiants Team
Resume and Cover Letter Experts
Updated on September 2, 2022

The position of a licensed practical nurse requires specific skills, qualifications, and experience, and companies need to understand that you possess these qualifications. The best way of accomplishing this task is with a professional LPN Resume.

This document presents your skills, achievements, experiences, and articulately, allowing the hiring manager to understand your value and decide whether to schedule an interview. 

However, creating such an important document is tricky, and you’re prone to errors if you’re not conversant with building a resume from scratch. For this reason, this article will present proven strategies to craft an effective LPN Resume properly. 

In this ResumeGiants article, you will receive:

  • LPN Resume examples 
  • The correct LPN Resume summary and objective 
  • LPN Resume skills 
  • How to insert your LPN work experience

Consider Using our Resume Builder

Getting employed in a reputable establishment requires you to do your best since you compete against hundreds of other possibly equally-qualified candidates. For this reason, you need to deliver a compelling LPN Resume that’s void of errors, both grammatically and structurally. 

While this fact may put too much pressure on you, we can help relieve this hassle with our professional resume builder. This platform presents all the tools needed to create a compelling LPN Resume, including templates, guides, and proven tips. 

Once e teeing the platform, pick a resume template and insert your skills, experience, achievements, and other factors that qualify you for the LPN role. There’s no need to worry about using the correct heading, font, style, and format since each template contains these elements.

LPN Resume Sample

Before you start ringing up the resume tips and tricks we’re going to share, check out this example of a good LPN resume.

Resume Example
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[Nicholas J. Fury]

[Licensed Practical Nurse]

[212B East 32nd Street, NY 10001   |   212-555- 1616 |   furynj1980S@hotmail.com]

Summary

Dedicated Licensed Practical Nurse with a strong patient service record, excellent at facilitating and sustaining productive professional relationships with patients, physicians, family members, and other medical personnel. Highly flexible scheduling for meetings, emergencies, evenings, and weekends.

Experience

Licensed Practical Nurse

Ropheka Hospital, New York, NY

07/2018 to Current

  • Documented and managed patient treatment data and medical history. 
  • Employ treatment plans as instructed by medical consultants and physicians. 
  • Completed corporate Certified Nursing Assistant training and orientation programs.
  • Provided patient assessments and assistance as advised by physicians and medical consultants. 
  • Recommended appropriate holistic life care plan programs after sufficient research

Licensed Practical Nurse

Konoha Medical Center, Dallas, TX

05/2016 to 06/2018

  • Administered IVs and catheters as needed to individual patients.
  • Assisted elderly patients with crucial ambulatory care for transport to and from facility and home.
  • Participated in regular consultations with physicians and family members regarding individual patient care plans.
  • Provided bedside care and assistance with medications as needed.
  • Participated in ongoing facility education workshops and programs.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, 2016

Fordham University, Bronx, NY

Skills

  • Tracheostomy suction and care
  • Stages I-IV pressure sore care
  • Admitting and discharging
  • Meditech documentation
  • Patient/family education
  • Detail-oriented
  • time management
  • Problem-solving 
  • Dependability 
  • Troubleshooting

Certifications

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

What’s the Best LPN Resume Format?

Hiring managers pay close attention to the formatting of your document since it determines each section’s level of accessibility and comprehensibility. In other words, they expect you to arrange your information in a way that’s hassle-free to read and understand. 

The most popular resume format in the corporate environment is the reverse-chronological method. However, this option requires you to bring your most recent experience first and the older ones last. 

Hiring managers prefer this format because it allows them to judge your value based on your most recent abilities, not happenings from decades ago. Therefore, it’s most effective if you have recent years of meaningful activities. 

Remember the following when composing your LPN resume:

  • Avoid custom and fancy fonts and only use clear and popular ones (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.) 
  • Use italics, bold, or capital letters to bring attention to specific parts of your resume 
  • Use reader-friendly headings 
  • Include white spaces to improve readability 

💡 top tip

If submitting online, present your resume in PDF format, except the job description specifies otherwise. 

How to Write an LPN Resume Summary or Objective

Resume summaries and objectives have been part of these corporate documents for years, as each option serves a specific purpose. At the beginning of your paper, they are short sentences that compel the employer to continue reading or discard your work. 

If some are right, using either a resume summary or objective will give you an edge over the competition since they make your document more professional and readable.

To better understand both concepts and how to use them in your resume, here’s more information:

LPN Resume Summary

A resume summary is a short paragraph that outlines critical parts of your career like achievements and skills, quickly showing the employer your level of qualification.

However, this option is only beneficial if you have vast experience under your belt; otherwise, use a resume objective. 

Nevertheless, you can create an LPN resume summary by first creating a heading at the top of your document titled “Resume Summary” in bold letters. Afterward, make a mental note of your experience, skills, and achievements during your career as a Licensed Practical Nurse. 

Next, select a few unique skills, achievements, or experiences from your recollection and describe them in a sentence. Ensure, to begin with, an adjective that expresses your personality as a Licensed Practical Nurse. 

Example:

Right ✅

Dedicated Licensed Practical Nurse with a strong patient service record, excellent at facilitating and sustaining productive professional relationships with patients, physicians, family members, and other medical personnel. Highly flexible scheduling for meetings, emergencies, evenings, and weekends.

Wrong ❌

I have been a Licensed Practical Nurse for many years and have worked for many hospitals to increase customer satisfaction and make them more money. Also, I am result-oriented, patient, and humble. 

LPN Resume Objective

On the other hand, a resume is a short paragraph summarising what you wish to offer the establishment, assuming you were given the position. It’s an effective way to convey that your desires are consistent with the company’s goals. 

While managers expect your goals to be aligned with the company, articulating this fact is one way to impress employers. Remember that this option is ideal when you have little LPN-related experience with inclusion in your resume. 

You can create an LPN resume objective by creating a heading in bold letters at the beginning of your resume titled “Resume Objective.” Next, contemplate your skills and attributes alongside company research, then assemble them in your paragraph. 

Some factors to include in your Licensed Practical Nurse resume objective are:

  • Communication skills
  • Meditech documentation
  • PICC Line care
  • EMR software
  • Wound care
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Problem-solving skills

Example:

Right ✅

Friendly LPN possessing an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from California University (GPA 3.5), Seeking employment in Konoha hospital to offer practical and compassionate care to patients. Previously functioned as an intern in a 20-bed high-turnover intensive care unit—effective wound dressing and familiar with EMR software.

Wrong ❌

I am a Licensed Practical Nurse with the ability to care for patients and improve them. Unfortunately, I have no experience as an LPN; however, I will do my best to be effective in your prestigious organization. 

💡 top tip

Most employers prefer a resume summary over a resume objective since the former presents more information about you, but the latter is quite intuitive.

Describing your LPN Experience on a Resume

While some employers may skip your resume summary or objective, they consider your experience section the most important part of your document.

This section gives the hiring manager a quick understanding of your employment history, qualifications, and the value presented to your previous workplace, thereby making this part infinitely vital. 

Furthermore, a well-written LPN experience section shows your skills and abilities, revealing whether they are compatible with the task. Ultimately, correctly outlining your achievements and efficacy may set you apart from the competition; however, there’s a method to articulating your past. 

Remember that the work experience section of your LPN resume must contain precise details about your professional history. These details include job titles, employer, date of employment and resignation, responsibilities, and accomplishments. 

Feel free to include different job types like full-time positions, part-time jobs, and temporary roles as long as they’re consistent with the job description. 

Example:

Right ✅

Licensed Practical Nurse
Ropheka Hospital, Boston, MA
2018-2021

  • Documented and managed patient treatment data and medical history. 
  • Employ treatment plans as instructed by medical consultants and physicians. 
  • Completed corporate Certified Nursing Assistant training and orientation programs.
  • Provided patient assessments and assistance as instructed by physicians and medical consultants. 
  • Recommended appropriate holistic life care plan programs after sufficient research 

Licensed Practical Nurse
Konoha Medical Centre, Dallas, TX
2016 – 2018

  • Administered IVs and catheters as needed to individual patients.
  • Assisted elderly patients with crucial ambulatory care for transport to and from facility and home.
  • Participated in regular consultations with physicians and family members regarding individual patient care plans.
  • Provided bedside care and assistance with medications as needed.
  • Participated in ongoing facility education workshops and programs.

Wrong ❌

Konoha Medical Centre
2014 – 2018

  • Completed my Licensed Practical Nurse duties despite the company’s fast pace 
  • I kept some patients stable in the hospital 
  • Make sure to log in patients and their conditions  
  • Regularly kept the boss’s coffee warm

💡 top tip

Avoid adding details that aren’t relevant to an LPN experience, since such will drastically reduce your chances of employment. 

Entry-level LPN Resume: Experience Section

While experience plays a massive role in landing you an LPN job in your desired company, you may not have such information under your belt. In other words, you may be a college graduate who’s yet to work in enough health organizations to fill your LPN resume section. 

However, you can’t leave your experience section empty, since that will instantly get your resume thrown in the trash. In other words, you need to have some experience if you’re applying for an LPN role in a reputable organization. 

Fortunately, there’s a solution to your lack of experience. We recommend recalling your time during internships, student practice, voluntary work, and anything of the sort. Then, you can harness these experiences and convey them attractively that pleases the hiring manager. 

Here’s an example of an entry-level Licensed Practical Nurse resume experience section:

Right ✅

Preceptorship Nurse
St. Matthew’s Hospital, New York City, NY
2018 – 2021 

  • Continually assessed five patients and updated information on their vital signs and treatment progress. 
  • Collected data on patients’ well-being, including treatment changes, medications, assessment results, and responses. 
  • Monitored patients’ conditions and completed diagnostic tests when necessary. 

Wrong ❌

Preceptorship Nurse
New York City, NY
2018 – 2021

  • Took care of a few patients 
  • Gave drugs to three or so patients
  • Gave CPR to a guy across the street 

💡 top tip

Ensure your entry-level experience section contains only medical-related work and experiences.

Is Your Education Section Evicted? It Might Be

While some corporate jobs aren’t strict on how much education is necessary to become employed, it’s not the case as a Licensed Practical Nurse. In other words, you need to demonstrate that you’ve gone through the necessary training to tackle medical causes. 

As a health worker, you need to be adequately trained before being trusted with someone’s well-being since one mistake can be fatal.

Luckily, writing out your Licensed Practical Nurse education isn’t as technical as detailing your work experience or creating a resume summary. All that’s needed is the institution’s name, degree type, and graduation year.

Below is our recommended format for writing your LPN resume education section:

  • Degree type
  • School Name and Location
  • Years in School

Example:

Right ✅

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
Creighton University City, State
2012 – 2016

Associate’s Degree in Nursing
New York University, New York, NY
2006 – 2008

Wrong ❌

Walden University
2009 – 2012

  • Graduated with a 2.1 GPA 
  • Finished my courses 

The Best LPN Skills for a Resume

Ever wonder why some resumes get rejected despite looking perfect with the right experience, education, and resume summary? Skills! Essentially, many candidates submit resumes containing a poorly written skills section containing unnecessary information. 

Failing to pay sufficient attention to your experience sections and include the necessary elements can drastically decrease your chances of employment. Therefore, we recommend separating your skills area into two categories titled “Soft Skills” and “Hard Skills,” each having different content. 

Here’s more information on soft and hard skills to better understand each category:

LPN Soft Skills

On the other hand, soft skills are abilities that aren’t specific to only Licensed Practical Nurses. Essentially, they are ideal for keeping you focused on your task, working with a team of other medical experts, and many more.

Unlike Hard skills, Soft skills don’t require formal tutoring to acquire, since regular interaction can develop these skills throughout your career.

Avoid smashing your soft and hard skills together into one long list of abilities with these points. Instead, separate and fill them in their respective categories.

LPN Hard Skills

Hard skills are those LPN abilities that cannot be acquired intuitively, but through learning. In other words, you have to learn these skills from books, tutorials, classrooms, online courses, and even on the job. 

Some hard skills include Sales, MS Office, MS Word, and the English language in jobs like content writing. In web development, it can consist of HTML, JavaScript, and C++. 

Soft Skills

  • Written communication
  • Verbal communication 
  • Planning
  • Organization
  • Reliability
  • Detail-oriented
  • time management
  • Problem-solving 
  • Dependability 
  • Troubleshooting
  • Perseverance
  • Teamwork

Hard Skills

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

💡 top tip

Avoid detailing your hard and soft skills in one long list. Instead, separate them into two individual categories, thereby increasing readability.

Adding Contacts to your LPN Resume

Irrespective of how well you create each section of your Licenced Practical Nurse resume, it’s usually without a properly-written contact section. This section ensures the hiring manager knows how to reach out to you for an interview if they’re impressed by your document. 

Luckily, the contact section isn’t as delicate as other parts of your resume because all tags required are your name, email, mailing address, and other factors.

 Here is our recommendation below:

  • Name (full name) 
  • Professional Email address
  • Physical mailing address (optional except requested) 
  • Active cell phone number 
  • Links to a professional profile or portfolio

Keep your name in capital letters and ensure your email address has no errors since such will make contacting you more difficult. 

Example: 

Contact:

Name: JOBSEEKER 

Email: Jobseeker3@gmail.com

Phone: (123) 456-7890

Address: Dakota, MN 

How to Add Other Sections for An Effective Resume

One effective way to convey your personality on your resume is via your hobbies and interests.

However, these factors may be too specific to include in the experience or skills section, requiring a new category. 

You can’t throw any interest like “playing video games” and “traveling” into the resume; this inclusion has a structure. First, research the company to understand what they support. 

For example, if the establishment values social responsibility, include your volunteer work, and if they regularly participate in marathons, including physical activity. Ultimately, your new section must convey interests consistent with the company’s culture. 

Example:

Right ✅

Interests

  • Participate in monthly immunization programs 
  • Enjoy running marathons 

Wrong ❌

Interests

  • I love playing video games
  • I love traveling 
  • I enjoy trying new foods 
  • I am a great singer

Key Takeaway

Getting your dream job is fulfilling, first requires a compelling resume that conveys your value as a potential hire. This LPN resume guide explains that a well-written resume contains the following elements:

  • Reverse-chronological format 
  • Resume Summary or objective 
  • Separate skills into soft and hard skills 
  • Lists your education and relevant experience 

Creating an effective LPN Resume from scratch is tricky, especially if you’re not conversant with document creation. For this reason, we recommend using our free resume builder, as it contains all the tools you need to raise your chances of employment.

Free Resume Templates

Using resume templates that are proven to work will help you to move your career search forward. Start and customize as many resumes as you need with our free resume builder