5 Clinical Nursing Skills That Will Make you a Standout Candidate
Are you wondering which clinical nursing skills you need to add to your resume to ensure that will be a standout candidate? To be a standout candidate for any nursing position, you'll need to showcase your clinical skills. Clinical skills are essential in the nursing profession and are what set nurses apart from other healthcare professionals. We asked many hiring managers and the to clinical nursing skills are assessment, diagnosis, treatment, documentation, and education. If you demonstrate all five of these skills, on paper, you'll look like a successful nurse.
Clinical skills are essential in the nursing profession and are what set nurses apart from other healthcare professionals.
1. Clinical Nursing Skill: Assessment
The ability to perform a comprehensive assessment is critical for nurses. A well-rounded assessment includes taking the patient’s history, performing a physical examination, and reviewing lab results and diagnostic imaging studies. During the assessment process, nurses must be able to identify potentially life-threatening conditions and intervene accordingly.
For example, when demonstrating you have assessment skills in your resume you could include a section that lists the following:
- The types of assessments you are comfortable performing (e.g., physical examination, history taking, review of lab results)
- How you use the information gathered from assessments to develop a treatment plan
- Any special assessments you are certified in or have experience performing (e.g., fetal heart rate monitoring, neurological assessments)
- Your ability to quickly and accurately assess patients in emergency situations
If you show the above in your resume, the hiring manager will see that you have the skills necessary to perform assessments competently.
2. Clinical Nursing Skill: Diagnosis
After completing a patient assessment, nurses must be able to make an accurate diagnosis. This requires synthesizing all of the information gathered during the assessment and formulating a plan of care based on that data. An accurate diagnosis is essential for ensuring that patients receive the appropriate treatment.
For example, when demonstrating you have diagnosis skills in your resume you could include a section that lists the following:
- The types of diagnoses you are comfortable making (e.g., urinary tract infection, pneumonia, dehydration)
- How you use the information gathered from diagnoses to develop a treatment plan
- Any special diagnoses you are certified in or have experience performing (e.g., diabetes, heart attack, stroke)
- Your ability to make quick and accurate diagnoses in emergency situations
If you show the above in your resume, the hiring manager will see that you have the skills necessary to make accurate diagnoses.
3. Clinical Nursing Skill: Treatment
Once a diagnosis has been made, nurses must develop and implement a plan of care. This plan will include various nursing interventions designed to treat the patient’s condition. Nurses must be able to administer medications safely and effectively, start IVs, change dressings, and provide other types of nursing care.
For example, when demonstrating you have treatment skills in your resume you could include a section that lists the following:
- The types of treatments you are comfortable administering (e.g., medication administration, starting IVs, wound care)
- How you use the information gathered from treatments to develop a treatment plan
- Any special treatments you are certified in or have experience performing (e.g., diabetes management, CPR)
- Your ability to administer treatments safely and effectively in emergency situations
If you show the above in your resume, the hiring manager will see that you have the skills necessary to administer treatments effectively.
4. Clinical Nursing Skill: Documentation
Nurses are responsible for documenting all aspects of patient care. This documentation must be accurate and complete in order to provide a legal record of the care that was provided. Documentation is also important for ensuring that patients receive the appropriate level of care and for tracking the outcomes of treatment.
For example, when demonstrating you have documentation skills in your resume you could include a section that lists the following:
- The types of documentation you are comfortable completing (e.g., patient charting, medication administration records, vital sign logs)
- How you use the information gathered from documentation to develop a treatment plan
- Any special documentation you are certified in or have experience completing (e.g., electronic medical records, care plans)
- Your ability to document care accurately and completely in emergency situations
If you show the above in your resume, the hiring manager will see that you have the written skills necessary to document care effectively.
5. Clinical Nursing Skill: Education
Nurses play an important role in patient education. They must be able to explain procedures and treatments, provide discharge instructions, and answer patients’ questions. It is important for nurses to be able to communicate effectively in order to ensure that patients understand their care plan and are able to comply with it.
For example, when demonstrating you have patient education skills in your resume you could include a section that lists the following:
- Any special education you are certified in or have experience performing (e.g. diabetes education, breastfeeding education)
- Your ability to educate patients on their care plan and post-treatment instructions
- Your ability to answer patients’ questions in a way that they will understand
If you show the above in your resume, the hiring manager will see that you have the skills necessary to educate patients effectively.
These are just a few examples of how you can demonstrate your clinical nursing skills in your resume. By including specific examples and details, you will be able to show the hiring manager that you have the skills necessary to be a successful nurse. The clinical nursing skills mentioned above are essential for nurses. If you can demonstrate these skills on your resume, you will be a standout candidate.
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