200 Action Words That Will Make Your Nurse Practitioner Resume Shine

We get a lot of requests for resume help from nurse practitioners here at ThriveAP. Many of these requests involve questions about how to describe prior employment, experiences, and achievements on a resume. Just how much detail should nurse practitioners include? How should such descriptions be worded?

Outlining prior healthcare experience on your nurse practitioner resume is a must. Whether this comes in the form of NP program clinicals, nursing experience, or volunteering, employers want to see you know how to care for patients. Simply listing these experiences isn’t enough. You must also describe your responsibilities in the position to give your prospective employer an idea of your skill set. Space on a resume is limited, so generally including a few bullet points describing each position or accomplishment will suffice. To help your resume pack a punch, you’ll want these bullet points to be succinct and informative.

Using key words is the best way to help your resume share sufficient information with an employer, while also making the document impressive enough to land you an interview. Action words set the tone for a powerful resume, helping you shine above other applicants.

Here are a few powerful words to consider using as you draft your nurse practitioner resume.

To describe leadership or management responsibilities…

Administered

Aligned

Appointed

Approved

Assigned

Authorized

Boosted

Chaired

Controlled

Coordinated

Cultivated

Delegated

Directed

Eliminated

Emphasized

Enforced

Established

Executed

Granted

Headed

Hired

Implemented

Increased/Decreased

Initiated

Instituted

Introduced

Launched

Led

Managed

Monitored

Oversaw

Recruited

Represented

Spearheaded

Supervised

To outline responsibilities involving interpersonal relations…

Addressed

Advised

Advocated

Arbitrated

Articulated

Attracted

Bargained

Collaborated

Complied

Consulted

Conveyed

Corresponded

Counseled

Debated

Directed

Encouraged

Facilitated

Interviewed

Leveraged

Lobbied

Motivated

Negotiated

Partnered

Persuaded

Promoted

Publicized

Reconciled

Recruited

Reinforced

Resolved

Solicited

Strengthened

Unified

To detail a role where you supported or assisted…

Administered

Bolstered

Budgeted

Conserved

Consolidated

Contributed

Delivered

Enabled

Formalized

Furthered

Generated

Guided

Incorporated

Maintained

Monitored

Planned

Produced

Provided

Recommended

Screened

Structured

Supported

To describe technical skill sets, responsibilities, or accomplishments…

Accelerated

Adapted

Built

Centralized

Converted

Defined

Developed

Documented

Engineered

Forecasted

Formulated

Fortified

Installed

Integrated

Operated

Programmed

Repaired

Replaced

Maximized

Merged

Modified

Overhauled

Rehabilitated

Revitalized

Simplified

Specialized

Standardized

Transformed

Troubleshot

Upgraded

To describe a role involving research…

Advanced

Amplified

Analyzed

Assessed

Audited

Authored

Built

Calculated

Collected

Composed

Critiqued

Designed

Detected

Discovered

Edited

Evaluated

Examined

Identified

Illustrated

Interpreted

Investigated

Logged

Measured

Surveyed

Tested

Tracked

To outline teaching responsibilities…

Coached

Critiqued

Developed

Educated

Enabled

Enriched

Facilitated

Guided

Informed

Instructed

Mentored

Motivated

Presented

Reviewed

Taught

Tested

Trained

Translated

To describe organizational responsibilities…

Acquired

Capitalized

Championed

Clarified

Created

Designed

Developed

Gained

Generated

Improved

Influenced

Initiated

Instituted

Maintained

Navigated

Optimized

Orchestrated

Outpaced

Promoted

Publicized

Restructured

Revamped

Secured

Sustained

Yielded

To list accomplishments or awards…

Achieved

Attained

Awarded

Earned

Exceeded

Excelled

Founded

Improved

Outperformed

Pioneered

Succeeded

Surpassed

Transformed

Won

Don’t forget to use specifics wherever possible on your resume. Stating that you ‘implemented a system to decrease patient wait times’ is nowhere near as powerful as noting that you ‘implemented a system that decreased the average patient wait time by 50 percent’. Specifics back your claims taking them from generic to noteworthy. 

Although we might all fall under the label ‘nurse practitioner’, our skill sets and professional experiences are unique. Think through what you have done to set yourself apart as an NP thus far in your career. Highlight these accomplishments on your resume using powerful verbiage and you’re sure to land an interview.

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