2023 Guide to Writing Nursing Cover Letter: With Sample and Examples

Click here to directly go to the complete Nursing Cover Letter sample.

Should nurses have a cover letter?

Unquestionably so. A nursing cover letter comprehensively conveys your years of experience, qualification, skills, and interest in the role.

You can also, in just a few lines, flaunt your strongest points as a nursing professional. Your nursing cover letter, unlike your nursing resume, is very flexible. It gives you the space to explain:

• Gaps in Your Resume
• Present and Future Objectives
• Relevant Skills and Qualifications

Going ahead, we will discuss tons of good nursing cover letter examples to help you create the best nursing cover letter to bag that dream job.

We have discussed some frequently discussed topics to guide you through the complete process of how to write a nursing cover letter:

• How do you address a nursing cover letter?
• How do I write a good nursing cover letter?
• How to create an entry level nursing cover letter?

How Do You Address a Nursing Cover Letter?

Before getting into the step-by-step process of writing a nursing cover letter, let’s clear some doubts about whom one should address the cover letter.

You have to follow the traditional formal letter format, starting with the recipient’s name and title, followed by the facility's name and address.

Now, the only hiccup is when you researched the entire network and still couldn’t find the name of the recruiter. In such cases, it is best to address the letter to the HR department.

Precede with a formal salutation such as “Dear Charlie Cooper”, if you have a name. Since a person’s gender is not obvious by their first name, it is better to use someone’s full name rather than, “Dear Ms. Cooper.”

In the absence of a name or title, using “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam,” is very impersonal and generic. It’s better to be as specific as possible.

Also read: How to Draft a Nursing Student Cover Letter?

How Do I Write a Good Nursing Cover Letter?

Let’s give you the format of your nursing cover letter first, and then we will elucidate the body of the cover letter.

• Name, location, email, and phone number
• Date
• The employer/institution’s full name and address (with zip code)
• Salutation (“Dear Hiring Manager/Nurse Recruiter”)
• Introduction paragraph
• Paragraph showcasing career synopsis
• Complimentary close (“Sincerely, Regards, Respectfully”)
• Your full name
• Enclosure/s

How long should a cover letter be for nurses?

The length of your nursing cover letter should not exceed 3/4th of a page!

The core idea of a nursing cover letter is to concisely convey your nursing knowledge and experience. Exceeding one page will altogether lose the essence of a cover letter.

Nursing Cover Letter - First Paragraph

Your introductory paragraph should ideally have two to three sentences, focusing on your professional identity, your qualifications, and how you got to know about this role or your interest in this role.

Nursing Cover Letter - Second Paragraph

This is the most crucial paragraph of your nursing cover letter. Here, you can summarize your career trajectory, your strengths, and accomplishments along with exceptions such as career change, resume gaps, etc.

Go through your job description thoroughly, to incorporate the keywords in this paragraph. For example, if your job description mentions that you must be proficient at handling medical equipment, you can frame these keywords as shown below:

I am proficient in using medical equipment such as Hoyer lifts and EasyStands in compliance with OSHA guidelines.

Nursing Cover Letter - Third Paragraph

Here is your chance to let your hiring manager know that you did good research on the institution and why you are keen to work with them. For example:

I am inspired by your organization’s approach to providing excellent healthcare services at minimum cost and shortest possible time. I am looking forward to rendering my services to the patients at the same distinguished level.

Nursing Cover Letter - Closing

This is the part where you extend your offer to further discuss your suitability and qualifications for the role by providing a clear CTA. Also, mention the enclosure/s.

Most importantly, a nursing cover letter is a great tool to explain why you are seeking a change of specialty. For example, if all of your past experience is in psychiatric nursing, and now you are seeking a career in primary care, you have the space to explain this transition in a nursing cover letter.

Tips on Drafting an Entry Level Nursing Cover Letter

Stated below are a few cover letter tips for entry level nursing professionals:

• Highlight your strengths and skills: Do not rewrite your resume, only highlight the strongest parts of your journey as a nursing professional or student. For example:

During my internship as a Medical Technician at The City Lab, I acquired the knowledge of documenting, analyzing, and reporting the samples

• Write in first person: Unlike your resume, there should be an ‘I’ in your nursing cover letter throughout.

• Provide only relevant details: Keep your nursing cover letter focused on the requirements outlined in the job posting to catch the eye of recruiters and do not mention irrelevant content such as age, hobbies, religion, or political preferences.

Also read: Tips on Drafting a Nursing Student Resume

Sample Nursing Cover Letter

Key Takeaways

Let’s give you a quick recap on everything that we have discussed so far:

• A nursing cover letter is important for you as it helps highlight not only your skills and qualifications but also reasons backing resume gaps or career change
• Your nursing cover letter format goes like:

Heading
Date
Recipient’s Details
Salutation
First paragraph
Second Paragraph
Third Paragraph
Letter Closing
Your Name
Enclosure/s

• If you’re a fresher, make sure to highlight your strengths, provide relevant information, and always write in the first person

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