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Create ResumeIf you're applying for Licensed Vocational Nurse jobs, using the wrong document format can immediately weaken your application. In the United States, employers almost always expect an LVN resume, not a CV. A resume is shorter, ATS-friendly, and designed for fast screening by recruiters and nurse managers. A CV is more detailed and is typically used in the UK, Australia, academic healthcare settings, or roles requesting a full clinical history.
The confusion happens because many nurses search for “LVN CV” when they actually need a professional nursing resume for US applications. The correct format depends on the employer market, the language used in the job posting, and how much clinical detail the employer expects. Understanding the difference matters because healthcare recruiters review nursing applications differently depending on the region and hiring workflow.
This guide explains exactly when to use an LVN resume vs CV, the structural differences, recruiter expectations, formatting rules, and includes real-world LVN CV and resume examples for both US and UK-style applications.
The biggest difference between an LVN CV and resume is depth, purpose, and hiring market expectations.
An LVN resume is optimized for speed, ATS systems, and recruiter scanning. An LVN CV is designed to show comprehensive healthcare experience, clinical training, compliance knowledge, and full work history.
An LVN resume is:
Short and skills-focused
Usually 1 to 2 pages
Designed for US healthcare hiring systems
Tailored for ATS keyword matching
Focused on recent clinical experience and measurable impact
Typical sections include:
Header
This depends almost entirely on geography and employer expectations.
You're applying in the United States or Canada
The job posting says “resume”
You're applying through ATS platforms like Indeed or Workday
The employer is a hospital, clinic, skilled nursing facility, or home health agency in North America
You want a fast, highly targeted application document
You're applying in the UK or Australia
Most online advice about nursing resumes is too generic. Real healthcare recruiters screen LVN resumes differently depending on staffing pressure, care environment, and patient acuity.
In practice, recruiters scan for three things first:
Your LVN license must be impossible to miss.
Recruiters want immediate confirmation of:
Active license
State jurisdiction
License number if requested
Expiration date if relevant
If this information is buried near the bottom, your application becomes harder to process.
Healthcare hiring managers prioritize relevant care settings over generalized experience.
Examples:
Professional summary
Licensure and certifications
Clinical skills
Work experience
Education
US healthcare recruiters often spend less than 30 seconds on the first screening pass. That means your resume must surface critical information immediately:
Active LVN license
Care setting experience
Patient population
Medication administration competency
EMR familiarity
Certifications like BLS or IV therapy
An LVN CV is:
More detailed and history-based
Often 2+ pages
More common in the UK and Australia
Built to show full clinical background
Structured around training, compliance, and clinical depth
Typical CV sections include:
Personal details
Professional profile
Full employment history
Clinical placements
Training and compliance
Certifications
Education
Clinical competencies
A CV gives employers more visibility into your complete healthcare background, especially in systems where detailed compliance and training documentation matter heavily.
The employer specifically requests a CV
The role requires detailed training history
You need to show extensive compliance credentials
The healthcare system values full clinical history visibility
One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is submitting a UK-style CV to a US healthcare employer. In many cases, recruiters interpret this as poor understanding of hiring norms.
Conversely, a very short US-style resume can look underdeveloped for UK healthcare applications where employers expect fuller training and compliance documentation.
Skilled nursing
Long-term care
Rehabilitation
Hospice
Home health
Med-surg support
Assisted living
Behavioral health
An LVN with direct experience in the employer’s environment often outranks candidates with stronger general experience.
Hiring managers want operational confidence.
Strong resumes demonstrate:
Patient load management
Medication administration
Documentation accuracy
Infection prevention
Care coordination
Escalation awareness
EMR proficiency
Weak resumes stay vague and rely on generic nursing language.
For US-based LVN jobs, your resume should prioritize speed, readability, and ATS compatibility.
Header
Professional summary
Licenses and certifications
Core clinical skills
Professional experience
Education
New graduate LVNs: 1 page
Experienced LVNs: 1 to 2 pages
Longer resumes are acceptable only when the experience directly supports the target role.
Maria Thompson
Dallas, Texas
(555) 214-8821
maria.thompson@email.com
Compassionate Licensed Vocational Nurse with 6+ years of experience in long-term care and rehabilitation settings. Skilled in medication administration, wound care, EMR documentation, and interdisciplinary patient coordination. Proven ability to manage high patient volumes while maintaining strong patient safety standards and regulatory compliance.
Licensed Vocational Nurse, Texas Board of Nursing
Basic Life Support (BLS)
IV Therapy Certification
CPR Certified
Medication administration
Patient assessments
Wound care
Infection prevention
Electronic medical records
Care plan documentation
Vital signs monitoring
Post-acute care support
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Brookdale Rehabilitation Center – Dallas, TX
January 2021 – Present
Managed care for up to 28 patients per shift in a post-acute rehabilitation environment
Administered medications with 99% documentation accuracy rate
Reduced treatment delays through improved interdisciplinary communication workflows
Supported wound care management and rehabilitation treatment plans
Maintained compliance with infection prevention and patient safety protocols
LVN
Heritage Skilled Nursing – Fort Worth, TX
May 2018 – December 2020
Delivered direct patient care in a 120-bed skilled nursing facility
Assisted physicians and RNs with patient evaluations and treatment implementation
Performed patient monitoring, documentation, and medication administration
Trained new nursing staff on EMR workflows and patient safety procedures
Licensed Vocational Nursing Program
Tarrant County College
Fort Worth, Texas
UK-style nursing CVs are more comprehensive and descriptive than US resumes.
The employer expects fuller visibility into:
Clinical history
Healthcare training
Safeguarding knowledge
Compliance competencies
Patient care exposure
Personal details
Professional profile
Key skills
Full work history
Clinical experience
Certifications and training
Education
Compliance training
Sophia Mitchell
Manchester, United Kingdom
+44 7700 900111
sophia.mitchell@email.com
Dedicated healthcare professional with extensive experience supporting patient care within rehabilitation and residential healthcare environments. Skilled in medication support, safeguarding procedures, infection prevention, and patient documentation. Strong background in multidisciplinary care coordination and patient-centered clinical support.
Patient care support
Medication assistance
Infection prevention
Safeguarding awareness
Care planning
Manual handling
Clinical documentation
Vital signs monitoring
Healthcare Support Worker
North Manchester Care Centre
March 2021 – Present
Delivered daily patient support across long-term care and rehabilitation units
Assisted nursing staff with patient monitoring and clinical documentation
Maintained infection prevention standards in accordance with NHS guidelines
Supported medication rounds and patient mobility assistance
Escalated patient condition concerns promptly to senior clinical staff
Safeguarding Adults Level 2
Infection Prevention and Control
Manual Handling Training
Medicines Administration Support
Fire Safety Training
Basic Life Support
Diploma in Health and Social Care
Manchester College
LPN and LVN roles are effectively the same profession with different state terminology.
Used primarily in:
California
Texas
Used in most other US states.
The formatting principles remain the same. However, you should always match the terminology used in the target job posting.
For example:
Apply as “LVN” in Texas and California
Apply as “LPN” in Florida, New York, Ohio, and most other states
This matters because ATS systems often prioritize exact keyword matches.
Most LVN applications fail because they sound generic and interchangeable.
Many resumes say:
Weak Example
“Responsible for patient care.”
This tells recruiters almost nothing.
A stronger version explains scope, environment, and responsibility.
Good Example
“Delivered direct care for up to 24 post-acute rehabilitation patients per shift, including medication administration, wound care support, and EMR documentation.”
Specificity creates credibility.
Recruiters need immediate understanding of your environment.
Always clarify:
Skilled nursing
Hospice
Long-term care
Rehabilitation
Home health
Assisted living
Acute care support
Without this context, your experience becomes harder to evaluate.
Keyword stuffing without proof weakens credibility.
Listing:
Team player
Hardworking
Compassionate
adds little value unless supported through clinical examples.
Healthcare ATS systems often search for:
LVN
LPN
Medication administration
EMR
Wound care
Patient care
Vital signs
Long-term care
Rehabilitation
Candidates who omit these terms may never reach human review.
Strong LVN resumes balance compliance, clinical skill, and operational reliability.
The best-performing applications demonstrate:
Show real nursing responsibilities:
Medication passes
Treatment support
Documentation
Patient monitoring
Escalation procedures
Care coordination
Healthcare employers prioritize reliability.
Include evidence of:
High patient volume management
Shift coordination
Fast-paced environments
Reduced documentation errors
Strong attendance and consistency
Patient safety language strongly influences healthcare hiring decisions.
Strong resumes naturally reference:
Infection prevention
Medication safety
Compliance standards
Documentation accuracy
HIPAA awareness
Fall prevention
Applicant Tracking Systems are heavily used in healthcare hiring.
To improve ATS performance:
If the posting says:
use LPN terminology prominently.
If the posting says:
mirror LVN wording.
Avoid creative section titles.
Use conventional headings like:
Professional Experience
Certifications
Skills
Education
Many ATS systems struggle with:
Tables
Icons
Columns
Text boxes
Simple formatting performs better.
Strong ATS optimization looks natural to human reviewers.
Do not overload your resume with repetitive keywords.
A CV becomes more valuable when the employer needs deeper healthcare visibility.
Examples include:
UK healthcare systems
International healthcare applications
Academic healthcare roles
Clinical educator positions
Compliance-heavy environments
A CV helps demonstrate:
Long-term clinical development
Detailed training history
Regulatory familiarity
Full healthcare background
In these cases, brevity matters less than completeness.
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