Resume Tips for New LPNs Moving Up from CNA

For newly licensed LPNs and LVNs with CNA experience.

By Resume Star · Updated October 2026

You passed the NCLEX-PN. Congratulations! You're no longer applying as an aide, and your resume needs to show that. At the same time, your years as a CNA are a real advantage: you already know the residents, the routines and the pace of a floor, and many new LPNs don't.

The tips below show you how to lead with your new license and nursing skills, and use your CNA experience as proof that you're ready on day one.

Start with the LPN / LVN template →

7 tips for a new LPN resume

Put your license at the top. Write "Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)" or "Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)" in California and Texas, with the state and "active". Add "multistate" if you hold a compact license. If you're waiting on results, write "NCLEX-PN: scheduled" or "passed, license pending" with the month.
Retitle your summary. Open with "Licensed Practical Nurse", not "CNA". Mention your CNA years as background: "New LPN with 3 years of experience as a CNA in long-term care."
Lead with nursing skills, not aide tasks. Medication administration, wound care, treatments, G-tube feeding, glucose monitoring, collecting data and reporting changes to the RN, and care plan updates. Your list of CNA duties can get shorter.
Add your clinical rotations. If you're newly licensed, list the facilities and units from your practical nursing program and what you did there. They show where you've already practiced as a nurse student.
Keep your CNA jobs, with the right bullet points. Pick the work an LPN will build on: knowing residents' baselines, reporting changes in condition, training new aides, and handling a full assignment. Show the same facility under two titles if you were promoted there.
Use numbers. Residents per med pass, patients per shift and the size of your unit show you can handle an LPN workload.
List your certifications. BLS, IV therapy certification if your state requires one for LPNs, and any others such as wound care or phlebotomy.

Before and after

Before

CNA. Helped residents with ADLs, took vitals, answered call lights.

After

Cared for 10 to 12 long-term care residents per shift as a CNA for 3 years. Recognized early changes in condition and reported them to the charge nurse, and trained 6 new aides.

The second version shows the judgment an LPN needs: knowing residents well enough to notice when something changes, and the reliability to train others.

Example: LPN resume with CNA experience

This is the LPN / LVN template you will start with. It shows CNA experience under the same employer as the LPN job. Replace the sample details with your own. Every section can be renamed, reordered or removed.

Angela Brooks

1127 Kenilworth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204

angela.brooks@email.com • (704)-555-3318

Summary

Licensed Practical Nurse with 4 years of experience in long-term care and short-term rehabilitation, and 3 prior years as a CNA. Skilled in medication administration, wound care and resident assessment. Calm, organized, and a supportive leader for nursing assistants.

Licenses & Certifications

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed 2022

North Carolina Board of Nursing, active

IV Therapy Certification

Certified 2023

Central Piedmont Community College

Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR)

Current

American Heart Association

Core Competencies

Medication Administration, Wound Care & Dressing Changes, IV Therapy, G-Tube Feeding, Resident Assessment, Diabetic Care, Care Plan Updates, CNA Supervision, Electronic Health Records.

Professional Experience

Licensed Practical Nurse

Aug 2022 - Present

Brookdale Health & Rehab, Charlotte, NC

Administer medications and treatments for 20-25 residents per shift with zero medication errors in the last year.
Perform wound care and dressing changes, and track healing in the resident record.
Assess residents, report changes in condition to the RN and physician, and update care plans.
Supervise and assign work to 4-5 CNAs per shift.

Certified Nursing Assistant

May 2019 - Jul 2022

Brookdale Health & Rehab, Charlotte, NC

Provided daily care for 10-12 residents, including ADLs, vital signs and safe transfers.
Earned an employee-of-the-month award and a tuition grant to attend nursing school.

Education

Practical Nursing Diploma

Graduated 2022

Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC

Use this template

Checklist

LPN or LVN license with the state, "active" (or NCLEX-PN status if pending)
A summary that opens with your new title
Nursing skills: medications, treatments, wound care and documentation
Clinical rotations, if you're newly licensed
CNA jobs with bullet points about judgment, workload and teamwork
Patient or resident numbers per shift
BLS and IV therapy certification, if you have them
Practical nursing diploma or certificate and the school

Frequently asked questions

Should I still list my CNA experience?

Yes. It shows you know resident care inside and out, and employers value nurses who came up from CNA. Keep it under your LPN job, with 2 or 3 bullet points focused on what prepares you to be a nurse.

I haven't worked as an LPN yet. What goes at the top of my experience?

Put your clinical rotations first, under a heading like "Clinical Experience", with the facility, the unit and what you did. Then list your CNA jobs under "Work Experience".

What if I passed the NCLEX but my license number hasn't arrived yet?

Write "Licensed Practical Nurse: passed NCLEX-PN, license pending" with the month. Update your resume as soon as the license is issued. Many employers can make an offer before then, but you usually can't start until it is active.

LPN or LVN: which title should I use?

Use the title your state uses. California and Texas use LVN; most other states use LPN. If you are applying in more than one state, you can write "LPN / LVN".

Can I list IV therapy if I learned it in school?

Only list it the way your state allows. Some states require a separate IV certification for LPNs. If you have it, list it under certifications. If you only did it in clinicals, describe it there, for example "Monitored IV sites and fluids under RN supervision".

I want to become an RN eventually. Should I say so?

A short line is fine, especially for employers with tuition help, for example "Pursuing LPN-to-RN bridge program, expected 2028". Keep the focus of your resume on the LPN job you are applying for.

LPN and LVN scope of practice, IV certification and license compacts vary by state. Check your state board of nursing for what applies to you.

Build your resume with Resume Star

Start from a sample written for your job, replace the details with your own, and download a polished PDF in minutes.

Templates written for your job. Real sample content for your role and experience level, not a blank page.
Download first, pay later. Unlimited PDF downloads for free. If Resume Star helped, pay a one-time fee. No subscription.
A clean, professional PDF. Formatted for you, so it looks right when you print it, email it or upload it to an application.
Cover letter included. Write a matching cover letter at no extra cost.
Works on any device. Start on your phone and finish on your computer. Your work is saved as you go.