Nurse CV Keywords: Skills & ATS Terms to Include

Nursing CVs are checked for registration, clinical competencies and mandatory training before anything else. NHS and private employers screen against a person specification, so mirror its wording closely.

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Nurse hard skills

Core competencies recruiters and ATS filters search for.

Patient assessmentMedication administrationIV cannulationPhlebotomyWound careNEWS2Care planningInfection prevention and controlSafeguardingDischarge planningCatheterisationEnd-of-life care

Nurse tools & software

Use the exact product names from the job ad.

Electronic patient records (EPR)SystmOneEMISCernerDatix incident reportingSyringe driversInfusion pumps

Nurse certifications & qualifications

Write the full name and the acronym, with the year.

NMC registration (PIN)Basic Life Support (BLS)Immediate Life Support (ILS)Advanced Life Support (ALS)Safeguarding Adults/Children Level 3Mentorship / Practice Assessor qualificationNon-medical prescribing (V300)

Nurse soft skills

Show these through achievements rather than listing them alone.

CompassionCommunication with patients and familiesTeam workingPrioritisation under pressureClinical judgementResilience

Nurse action verbs

Start each bullet with one of these instead of "Responsible for".

AssessedAdministeredManagedEscalatedEducatedCoordinatedImplementedMaintainedSupportedMentored

Weak vs strong nurse CV bullets

Looked after patients on the ward.

Managed a caseload of 6–8 high-dependency patients per shift on a 28-bed acute medical ward with zero medication errors over 14 months.

Helped train new staff.

Delivered pressure ulcer prevention training to 32 staff, contributing to a 40% fall in ward-acquired pressure injuries.

Examples are illustrative. Only use figures you can back up in an interview.

ATS tip for nurse CVs

Put your NMC PIN and registration type (e.g. "RN Adult") near the top, and list mandatory training with dates. Undated training can be treated as expired.

How to use these keywords

  1. Start from the job description, not this list. Keywords that appear in the ad matter most.
  2. Only include skills you genuinely have. You will be asked about them.
  3. Put the most important keywords in both your Skills section and your experience bullets.
  4. Use the employer's exact wording (e.g. "Electronic patient records (EPR)", not a synonym).
  5. Keep formatting simple: single column, standard headings, no text inside images.

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