Licensed practical nurse resume example
A complete resume for an LPN in long-term care and rehab, plus summaries, bullet points, skills and the licenses to list.
What hiring managers look for
A director of nursing hiring an LPN checks three things before anything else: an active practical nursing license in the right state, IV therapy certification if the state requires it for LPNs, and how many residents or patients you handle on a med pass. After that they look for charge nurse shifts, clean MAR audits, wound care and how well you work with the RNs and CNAs on your hall.
This example belongs to an LPN with five years in skilled nursing and short-term rehab, now working as a charge nurse on a 32-bed unit. The two-column layout keeps clinical skills in the sidebar and gives the license and certifications a section of their own. LPNs in clinics, home health, corrections or physician offices can follow the same order and change the setting and numbers.
Licensed practical nurse resume summary examples
Mid-level, 5 years
Licensed practical nurse with 5 years in skilled nursing and short-term rehab. Passes medications for 24 to 30 residents a shift, works as charge nurse on a 32-bed unit and supervises 4 CNAs. IV certified, careful with documentation and known for calm, clear updates to families and physicians.
New LPN
Newly licensed practical nurse with 750 clinical hours in long-term care, pediatrics and a busy family practice. Comfortable with a full med pass under supervision, vital signs, wound dressings and EHR charting. BLS certified and ready for day, evening or weekend shifts.
Clinic LPN
LPN with 6 years in a multi-provider pediatric clinic, rooming 35 patients a day and giving 100+ immunizations a week. Handles prior authorizations, phone triage under protocols and VFC vaccine inventory, with spotless audits.
CNA moving up
New LPN who spent 4 years as a certified nursing assistant on the same rehab unit. Knows the residents, the routines and the CNA side of every shift, and now brings a practical nursing license, IV certification and strong charting habits.
Licensed practical nurse resume bullet points
Strong bullets start with what you did and end with what changed. Borrow the pattern, then use your own numbers.
- Completed a 30-resident med pass within the 2-hour window on 98% of shifts during a 12-month quality review.
- Caught a resident's early change in breathing and called the physician, who started treatment before a pneumonia admission was needed.
- Trained 9 new CNAs on vital signs, fall prevention and documentation in their first two weeks.
- Lowered the unit's fall rate by 22% after setting up hourly rounding with the CNA team.
- Gave flu and COVID vaccines to 180 residents and staff in a 3-week campaign, with every consent on file.
- Rewrote the unit's shift report sheet, cutting handoff time from 40 to 25 minutes.
- Managed blood glucose checks and sliding-scale insulin for 11 diabetic residents a shift.
- Helped the building pass its annual state survey with no deficiencies in nursing documentation.
Skills for a licensed practical nurse resume
Skills job postings ask for
- Medication administration
- IV therapy (where the state allows)
- Wound care and dressing changes
- Vital signs and assessment
- Diabetic care and insulin
- Catheter and ostomy care
- Tube feedings
- PointClickCare, MatrixCare or Epic
- MAR and TAR documentation
- Infection control
- BLS
Skills to show in your bullets
- Calm under pressure
- Clear communication
- Leading a CNA team
- Compassion
- Organization
List the skills a posting names in its own words, and only the ones you can talk about in an interview. Qualities like these read best as results in your bullets, not as a list.
Tips for writing a licensed practical nurse resume
- 1
Say how many residents you cover
"Med pass for 30 residents on a 32-bed rehab unit" tells a director of nursing exactly what you can handle. Put the count in your first bullet for every job.
- 2
Spell out what your state lets you do
LPN scope varies by state, especially for IV pushes, assessments and supervising aides. If you're IV certified or work as charge nurse, write it plainly so nobody has to guess.
- 3
Show survey and audit results
Nursing homes live by state surveys and MAR audits. A deficiency-free survey or zero medication errors is a strong line, and few LPN resumes include one.
- 4
Name the charting system
PointClickCare, MatrixCare and Epic each take time to learn. Listing the one a facility uses tells them you'll be charting on day one.
Licenses and certifications to list
Put your license first, with the state and whether it's a multistate compact license, then the certifications that widen what you're allowed to do. Add the month and year for each.
- Licensed Practical Nurse (or LVN in California and Texas), with the state
- IV therapy certification, if your state requires it for LPNs
- BLS for Healthcare Providers
- Wound care certification (WCC) or a wound care course
- Gerontology or long-term care certification (NAPNES or similar)
- Phlebotomy or pharmacology certificates, if you hold them
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