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Healthcare Assistant CV example

Ward managers hiring healthcare assistants want to know who you've cared for, what you can do without being asked twice, and whether you'll pass vetting. This example shows a healthcare assistant CV that answers all three, with bullets that show care and good observation rather than a list of tasks.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

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The example

A Healthcare Assistant CV, start to finish.

Mele Vainikolo is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Mele Vainikolo

Healthcare Assistant, surgical and older people's health

Palmerston North · 021 555 0137 · mele.vainikolo@email.com

Profile

Healthcare assistant with five years in hospital and aged care, most recently on a busy surgical ward. Gentle and practical with personal care, careful with observations, and quick to tell the nurse when something has changed. Speaks Tongan and English, and often helps Pasifika patients and their families feel at ease.

Skills

Personal cares and hygiene · Safe moving and handling · Vital signs and observations · Fluid balance and food charts · Falls prevention · Dementia care · Infection prevention · Tongan and English

Experience

Healthcare Assistant, Surgical Ward, Matai Park Hospital

Palmerston North · 2023 to now

  • Support up to eight post-operative patients a shift with washing, mobilising and meals, alongside two registered nurses
  • Take and record observations, and report changes to the nurse straight away, including a patient's falling blood pressure that led to an early medical review
  • Complete fluid balance and food charts accurately so nurses and dietitians can act on them
  • Act as a patient watch for confused and high falls-risk patients, with no falls on my watches in the past year

Caregiver, Kōtuku Care Home

Feilding · 2021 to 2023

  • Provided personal cares for 12 residents a shift in a 40-bed rest home and dementia unit
  • Used safe hoist and standing transfers, and was chosen to show new staff how the hoists work
  • Built routines with residents living with dementia that reduced distress at shower time
  • Kept families up to date with small changes, like appetite or sleep, through the registered nurse

Education

New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) (Healthcare Assistance), Open Polytechnic

2022

NCEA Level 2, Palmerston North Girls' High School

2019

Other details

Police vetting
Completed for current role
Certificates
First aid, moving and handling, infection prevention
Availability
Days, afternoons and nights, including weekends

Referees

Available on request

Mele wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the healthcare assistant cover letter

Skills and keywords

What healthcare assistant job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Personal caresSay what it covered: showering, toileting, dressing, pressure area care. Ward managers read this line first.
  • Moving and handlingName the equipment you're confident with, like hoists, slide sheets and standing frames.
  • ObservationsMany hospital HCA roles now include vital signs. Say you take them and report changes.
  • Patient watchA common hospital HCA duty for confused or high falls-risk patients. List it if you've done it.
  • Health and Wellbeing (Level 3)Give the full qualification name and strand. Ads often ask for it or say you'll be supported to do it.
  • Infection preventionHand hygiene, PPE and isolation rooms. Hospitals take this seriously after the last few years.
  • Shift availabilityRosters decide who gets hired. Say which shifts you can work, including nights.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Supported up to eight post-operative patients a shift with washing, mobilising and meals
  2. 2Took and recorded observations and reported a patient's falling blood pressure, leading to an early medical review
  3. 3Kept accurate fluid balance and food charts that nurses and dietitians relied on
  4. 4Acted as patient watch for confused and high falls-risk patients, with no falls on my watches in a year
  5. 5Provided personal cares for 12 residents a shift across a rest home and dementia unit
  6. 6Showed new staff how to use the hoists and standing frames safely
  7. 7Built calm routines with residents living with dementia that reduced distress at shower time
  8. 8Interpreted informally for Tongan-speaking patients and families so they understood the plan
  9. 9Restocked and cleaned rooms between patients, following isolation procedures

Common mistakes

What costs healthcare assistant CVs interviews.

  • Writing "assisted nurses with patient care" and nothing else.

    Say what you actually did, for how many patients, and what you noticed and reported.

  • Leaving out aged care or home support work because it wasn't in a hospital.

    Rest home and home support experience is directly relevant. Hospitals want people who already do personal cares confidently.

  • Not saying which shifts you can work.

    Put your availability in your details. Night and weekend cover is often the deciding factor.

  • Listing your qualification as "Level 3 health certificate".

    Use the full name and strand, such as New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) (Healthcare Assistance).

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

Hospitals and care providers in New Zealand usually ask for Police vetting before you start, because the work involves the care of vulnerable people. The New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) is widely asked for.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Aged care workers in Australia need a criminal history check, usually a police certificate or an NDIS Worker Screening Check, and hospitals often call the role an assistant in nursing. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: New Zealand Police: Police vetting, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: aged care worker screening.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Can I become a healthcare assistant without a qualification?

Often, yes. Many employers hire people with care experience and support them to complete the Level 3 certificate. If you're studying it now, list it with "in progress".

Should I mention the languages I speak?

Yes. Patients and families who share your language often relax faster, and ward managers notice it. Put it in your skills or summary.

Is a healthcare assistant CV different from a support worker CV?

The skills overlap, but hospital ads focus more on observations, patient watches and working in a clinical team. Lead with those if you're applying to a hospital.

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