Healthcare workers are in high demand all over the country, especially licensed and registered nurses. At the same time, nurses are feeling burnt out and unappreciated by their current employers. 

If you are starting to think that there is another position out there that will better fit the lifestyle you want, then it is time to update your resume.

And if updating your resume is keeping you from making a change, I’m here to help you out with some resume guidance. Making updates doesn’t have to be stressful and it doesn’t have to take you forever. 

Here is a list of the top high-demand nursing skills that you want to accentuate on your resume. I’ve divided them into soft and hard skills that employers are looking for.

Soft Skills

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Soft skills are not related to your medical training. They are often related to all the other skills that you acquire through life. You can be at the top of your nursing class, but if you don’t possess these soft skills, it will be challenging for you to interact with patients effectively.

Soft Skill #1 Communication

We spend all day communicating with patients, family members, and other hospital staff, relating to each audience type differently. We have to be able to educate and explain complex medical terms in a way that the ordinary patient can understand. And then we have to relate in full medical-speak to doctors what a patient is experiencing and what procedures have already been done. We have to be compassionate and understanding towards family members who are frightened and often confused. And we have to be able to document everything in writing so the next shift can take over seamlessly when we go home for the night.

Soft Skill #2 Critical Thinking

Primarily, we are frontline problem solvers, taking bits of information from patients, from bloodwork, from a dozen different data sources and we have to be able to process all of that information critically in order to best treat our patients. Because we often work in dynamic environments with so many variables impacting every decision, we have to be able to think quickly and critically to identify the most important pieces of information that will lead to the most effective patient treatment.

Soft Skill #3 Time Management

Not only do we need stamina to work our long hours, but we also need time management skills that help us prioritize the multitude of responsibilities and tasks that we see on every single shift. If you think about it, we have ongoing duties that need to be done hourly and we have ones that need to be completed by the end of the shift. Then we have short-term duties for specific individual patients that need to be done in specific intervals. And then we have emergency duties that arise all too often and need to be handled immediately, requiring that we seamlessly re-shuffle all of the other duties so we can fit those in as well.

Hard Skills

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Hard skills are those we train for and develop specifically while working. The hard skills are what make us licensed, registered nurses capable of helping patients with myriad ills, injuries, and maladies. Here are a few of the most in-demand hard skills that will make your resume pop.

Hard Skill #1 Emergency and Critical Care Nursing

Emergency and ICU departments are under tremendous pressure so this hard skill at the top of your resume will make you stand out from the crowd. Signal to a new employer that you can keep cool under pressure, think quickly on your feet, and respond efficiently when an emergency arises.

Hard Skill #2 Telemetry

As medical practices harness more complex technology, there is a greater need for nurses who understand how to interact with that technology. Possessing the skill to pair and unpair telemetry devices on patients to better monitor health data, as well as prepare the patient for the application of the device, will be in higher demand as technology innovations make their ways into hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Hard Skill #3 Electronic Medical Record (EHR) Proficiency

Being comfortable with EHR software is different than being proficient at it. With proficiency comes the ability to train and oversee other staff using the software. There are many different EHR software platforms out there, but you want to make sure to indicate which ones you are experienced using. Include any trainings or certificates you may have earned in the platform. 

NursePower Empowers Nurses!

Our goal for these pages is to offer you time-saving, soul-nourishing, body-strengthening tips and ideas that will help make your already stressful, hectic life as a nurse just a little bit easier. 

NursePower is owned and run by nurses so we know what you’re going through. We’ve been there. And we know that nursing is harder today than it was pre-Covid and it was pretty darn hard then too. 

But we also want to help you advance your career in positive and meaningful ways.

If you are looking for a change — less stress, better schedule, improved pay, more control over when and where you work — then let’s connect because NursePower is hiring nurses right now for private-duty nursing positions.