20 Best Licensed Vocational Nurse Resume Examples and Templates for 2026
3 Best Licensed Practical Nurse Resume Examples and Templates for 2026
By Andrew Stoner
, Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner
Last Updated:
August 13, 2025
Tip !
Directors of nursing decide whether to call within the first scan of the credentials block; if active LPN licensure, NCLEX-PN, and BLS aren't visible by line six, the resume drops out of the stack.
Featured Example
Why this resume works
- Real numbers from the floor: The med error drop from 11 to 2 per month shows a specific safety win, not a vague claim.
- Shows scope of patient load: Naming the 32-bed unit and 22 to 28 patient assignments gives recruiters a clear sense of pace and responsibility.
- Mix of clinical skills listed: Wound vac, PICC lines, IV pushes, and hospice care signal a well-rounded LPN who can step onto most floors.
New LPN Example
The new LPN archetype just passed NCLEX-PN and holds an active state license with limited paid bedside hours. This resume needs to prove clinical rotation depth, med-pass competence, and the EMR systems you charted in during school.
Why this resume works
- Honest about new grad status: The summary names new LPN status without apologizing, then points to real clinical hours.
- Shows current responsibility: The 24-resident assignment and on-time charting give hiring managers a concrete picture of the workload.
- Clinical rotations are specific: Listing 240 hours across med-surg, OB, and peds tells a recruiter exactly where the skills come from.
Experienced LPN Example
The experienced LPN archetype has two-plus years on the floor, a steady patient load, and a track record across at least one specialty setting. This resume needs to prove acuity, charting volume, IV and wound care scope, and the RN and physician teams you've supported.
Why this resume works
- Outcomes recruiters care about: The fall rate drop from 8.2 to 3.1 per 1,000 resident days and the CMS rating jump show real impact.
- Range of LPN settings: Long-term care, home health, and clinic experience shows this nurse can step into many roles.
- Leadership is shown, not claimed: Running a 40-bed unit with 6 CNAs and training new staff is concrete proof of supervision skills.
Text Version LPN
Priya Ramaswamy, LPN
Saint Paul, MN | (651) 555-0136 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/priyaramaswamylpn
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
LPN with 9 years across skilled nursing, sub-acute rehab, and outpatient infusion. Skilled at IV therapy, wound care, and steady documentation on high-acuity floors. Calm under pressure and trusted by RNs to triage changes in condition.
EXPERIENCE
Charge LPN, Sub-Acute Rehab
Birchwood Transitional Care | Saint Paul, MN | 2022-Present
- Lead a 28-bed sub-acute rehab unit on PM shift with 3 CNAs and a shared RN.
- Manage IV antibiotics, PICC lines, and wound vac changes for post-orthopedic and post-cardiac patients.
- Brought medication pass time down from 105 minutes to 70 minutes by reordering the med cart and pre-pulling routine doses.
- Run weekly chart audits and coach staff on documenting pain reassessments within 60 minutes of PRN meds.
- Coordinate discharge planning with case managers, families, and home health agencies.
Infusion LPN
Riverbend Outpatient Infusion Center | Minneapolis, MN | 2019-2022
- Provided IV infusions of antibiotics, iron, IVIG, and biologics for 14 to 18 patients per day.
- Started peripheral IVs and accessed implanted ports under RN supervision.
- Monitored for infusion reactions and managed mild reactions per standing order.
- Educated patients on home self-injection of biologics and follow-up lab schedules.
LPN, Long-Term Care
Lakeside Manor Skilled Nursing | Bloomington, MN | 2017-2019
- Cared for 26 long-term residents per shift, including AM and HS med passes.
- Performed wound dressing changes, catheter care, and tube feedings.
- Charted in PointClickCare and helped train 4 new LPNs on the EHR.
- Served as backup charge LPN on weekends.
LPN, Group Home
Northern Lights Disability Services | Saint Paul, MN | 2015-2017
- Delivered nursing care for 8 residents with developmental disabilities and complex medication regimens.
- Trained direct care staff on seizure response, G-tube feedings, and medication safety.
- Coordinated appointments and communicated changes in condition to families and providers.
- Maintained MARs and quarterly nursing assessments per state licensing requirements.
EDUCATION
- Practical Nursing Diploma, Saint Paul College, 2015
- NCLEX-PN, passed first attempt, 2015
- Certifications: IV Therapy, BLS, ACLS (current)
SKILLS
- IV therapy, port access, and PICC line care
- Infusion monitoring and reaction management
- Wound care and wound vac
- Medication administration and MAR audits
- Charge nurse duties and CNA supervision
- EHR: PointClickCare, Epic, athenaOne
- Discharge planning and case manager coordination
- Patient and family education
- Fall and skin risk assessments
- BLS, ACLS, IV certified
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How to Write an LPN Resume
01 Open with the metric a director of nursing would use to size you up
Lead your summary with the patient load and setting a nurse manager uses to gauge readiness. Name your typical census, the acuity, and the shift length.
A line like “LPN with 3 years in a 120-bed SNF, carrying a 25-resident assignment on day shift” tells a director of nursing more than any adjective. Add your active state license, NCLEX-PN year, and BLS status in the same block.
Nurse managers read this opener to size your fit before they read a single bullet. Skip the objective; lead with the numbers that map to their floor.
02 Quantify the patient care behind each bullet
Bullets without a number tend to read as duties. Strong LPN bullets name patient load, med-pass volume, charting frequency, and the supervising RN or physician context.
Pick two or three metrics nurse managers scan for: residents per shift (18 to 30 in LTC, 5 to 8 in med-surg), medications passed per shift, wound care cases, or fall-prevention rounds. Add the EMR you charted in, such as Epic, PointClickCare, or MatrixCare.
Pair each metric with the outcome it drove, like reduced rehospitalization rates or zero medication errors over a defined window.
03 Group your bedside work by clinical category
Organize bullets into the categories Directors of nursing actually screen for. Four clusters cover most LPN roles: medication administration, assessment and monitoring, treatments and procedures, and documentation.
Under medication administration, name routes (PO, IM, SQ, IV when your state scope allows) and high-alert categories like insulin or anticoagulants. Under assessment, name vitals frequency, neuro checks, and the escalation pattern to the RN.
Treatments cover wound care, catheter care, trach and G-tube management, and specimen collection. Documentation covers your EMR, charting cadence, and care plan updates.
04 Place credentials and EMRs in a page-one block
Build a credentials block directly under your summary so the nurse manager sees it in the first scan. List state of licensure with “in good standing,” NCLEX-PN year, BLS through the AHA, and IV certification if your state requires it.
Do not list your license number on the resume; you’ll supply it on the application. Add EMR systems on the same page-one block, since charting fluency is a hiring filter.
If you hold IV therapy certification, wound care credentials, or gerontology training, place them here too. This is where credential verification at larger hospital systems actually checks.
05 Close with clinical education and rotations
End with your practical nursing program, graduation year, and the clinical rotations that map to the job you want. Name the facility type, the unit, and the hours.
A new-grad LPN should list rotations in long-term care, med-surg, pediatrics, and OB, with hours per rotation. Add any preceptorship and the patient load you carried by the final weeks.
Experienced LPNs can shorten this section to program name, year, and any post-grad CE in IV therapy, wound care, or dementia care.
Most Popular Skills on LPN Resumes for 2026
ATS filters catch more LPN resumes than ever in 2026. The skills below come from our user-built LPN resumes. Clinical procedures and EMR names clear the first cut, and patient-care language decides whether the resume advances.
Nurse managers weigh hard skills as the credential and competency check, then read soft skills as evidence backing your bullets. A bullet that says “de-escalated combative dementia patient” proves “patient advocacy” better than the label itself. Match this list against the target posting; mirror the EMR and procedure terms verbatim, and use soft skills only where a bullet proves them.
| Soft Skills | % of resumes with this skill |
|---|---|
| Communication | 67% |
| Empathy | 61% |
| Attention to detail | 43% |
| Teamwork | 38% |
| Time management | 28% |
And here are the top hard skills showing up most often.
| Hard Skills | % of resumes with this skill |
|---|---|
| Medication administration | 71% |
| Vital signs monitoring | 60% |
| Patient care | 44% |
| Wound care | 35% |
| Electronic health records | 31% |
Based on data from thousands of LPNs’ resumes built on ResumeTemplates.com, May 2026.
Must Have on an LPN Resume
These are the must-haves hiring teams look for when scanning an lpn resume.
Licensure Requirements
Every state board of nursing licenses LPNs (LVNs in California and Texas) after the NCLEX-PN. Show licensure in a page-one credentials block so director of nursing and credential-verification tools find it first.
List your state, “active, in good standing,” and the NCLEX-PN year. If you hold a multistate license through the Nurse Licensure Compact, write “multistate” so the reader sees portability at a glance.
Do not list the license number itself; employers verify through Nursys or the state board portal, and the number goes on the application. Add BLS through the AHA with the expiration date, and IV certification where your state requires it.
- Licensed Practical Nurse, State of Ohio (active, in good standing; multistate)
- NCLEX-PN, passed 2023
- Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association (exp. 06/2027)
- IV Therapy Certification, Ohio Board of Nursing approved provider (2024)
Continuing Education That Belongs
State boards of nursing require LPNs to complete continuing education hours per renewal cycle, and the courses you choose signal where your practice is heading. List CE by topic, certifying provider, and year.
Pick CE that maps to the roles you’re targeting. IV therapy, wound care, and dementia care courses signal LTC and home health readiness.
Pharmacology updates, diabetes management, and infection control signal med-surg and clinic readiness. Keep CE entries to the last three years and group them under a “Continuing Education” heading below certifications.
- IV Therapy Update (ANCC-accredited provider, 2025)
- Wound Care for the LPN (NAWCO, 2025)
- Dementia Care and Behavioral De-escalation (CEU Academy, 2024)
- Diabetes Management and Insulin Administration (state board provider, 2024)
- Infection Control and Prevention (APIC course, 2024)
EMR Systems Nurse Managers Look For
EMR fluency is a hiring filter for LPN roles. Name the systems you’ve charted in, the setting where you used them, and the modules you worked in.
- Epic (hospital med-surg, 2 years; eMAR, flowsheets, care plans)
- PointClickCare (120-bed SNF, 3 years; eMAR, MDS support, progress notes)
- MatrixCare (assisted living, 1 year; eMAR and resident assessments)
- Cerner / Oracle Health (clinical rotations, 240 hours)
- Homecare Homebase (home health, OASIS support and visit documentation)
HIPAA and OSHA Compliance
Never name a patient, room number, or detail that could identify a person you cared for. HIPAA violations on resumes are a fast disqualifier at hospital systems with compliance review.
Quick HIPAA check before you send
Write bullets in aggregate. “Managed daily care for a 25-resident assignment” is safe; “cared for Mr. R in room 214” is not.
If you ran a notable case, describe the clinical scenario without identifiers: “supported end-of-life care for a hospice patient with complex pain management.” List HIPAA training as a CE line if completed within the last two years.
Practical Nursing Credentials That Get You the Job
Beyond your state LPN license and BLS, the certifications below tell Directors of nursing which patient populations you can take and which procedures you can run without RN oversight. List each one with the certifying body and current expiration date.
- IV Therapy Certification: Expands your scope to IV starts, maintenance, and medication administration; required in many states for med-surg and home health LPN roles.
- Wound Care Certified (WCC): Signals you can run complex wound assessments and dressing protocols, a high-demand skill in long-term care and home health.
- Certified in Gerontology by the NFLPN: Tells SNF and assisted-living directors you've trained on dementia care, fall prevention, and end-of-life support specific to older adults.
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support): Required at many hospitals and surgery centers; signals you can support codes and rapid responses beyond basic BLS.
Latest BLS Statistics for LPNs
The LPN pay spread between the 10th-percentile floor and the 90th-percentile ceiling tells you that setting and specialty move pay more than tenure does. The floor reflects entry rates at smaller LTC facilities in low-cost regions, while the ceiling reflects hospital, correctional, and government LPN roles with night and weekend differentials. The top employment states cluster where SNF and home health demand is highest.
Position your resume around the setting and specialty that map to the band you want, and lead with the acuity and patient load that prove it.
Where you stand
Entry tier
$47,960 to $62,340 At the entry tier, lead with NCLEX-PN year, active state license, BLS, and the clinical rotation hours and patient loads you carried.Mid band
$62,340 to $80,510 At the mid band, your resume needs to show daily census, EMR fluency, IV and wound care scope, and the supervising RN context.Top decile
$80,510+ At the top decile, lead with hospital or correctional settings, charge LPN duties, ACLS, and specialty certs like IV therapy or WCC.Top-paying states
| # | State | Avg. Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $79,700 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $77,940 |
| 3 | Alaska | $77,670 |
| 4 | California | $77,170 |
| 5 | Oregon | $76,570 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $76,560 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $74,660 |
| 8 | Arizona | $74,020 |
| 9 | Nevada | $73,820 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $71,180 |
Highest-employment states
| # | State | Workers | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 79,610 | $77,170 |
| 2 | Texas | 59,060 | $60,150 |
| 3 | New York | 40,720 | $64,030 |
| 4 | Florida | 36,470 | $60,080 |
| 5 | Ohio | 36,440 | $60,990 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I put my LPN license number on the resume?
No. List your state of licensure and "active, in good standing" with the NCLEX-PN year.
State boards of nursing publish license numbers in public verification portals, and most employers run a primary-source verification through Nursys. Supply the number on the application form, not the resume.
How do I handle an LPN license in one state when I'm applying in another?
If your state is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, list your license as "multistate" so the director of nursing sees you can practice in their state immediately.
If you're moving from a non-compact state, name the state you hold and add "endorsement application in progress with [target state] Board of Nursing" with the date submitted.
I'm a new-grad LPN with no paid bedside hours. What goes in my experience section?
Lead with your clinical rotations as if they were jobs. Name the facility, the unit, the hours you carried, and the patient load by the final weeks.
Add the EMR you charted in and any preceptorship cases you ran with minimal oversight. CNA or medical assistant work before nursing school goes below the rotations, with patient-care duties translated into LPN-relevant terms.
How do I show that I'm working toward my RN without making it look like I'll leave?
Place LPN-to-RN bridge program enrollment in your education section with the expected graduation date, not at the top of the resume.
Nurse managers read top-of-resume RN-track language as short tenure risk. In the summary, frame yourself as an LPN seeking the role you're applying for, and let the education section show the trajectory.
What's the best resume template for an LPN?
For an LPN, an ATS-friendly template is the safest pick, because it puts your certifications and experience where a hiring manager scans first. A basic template is a solid alternative. Whichever you choose, keep the formatting clean and easy to parse: clear section headings, a standard font, and no graphics a parser can choke on.
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Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
