Entry-Level Nurse Cover Letter Examples (Text Format)
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Sheridan Bonilla
Nursing Student | [email protected] | (998) 776-6554 | 456 My Street, San Francisco, CA 76543
February 8, 2021
Georgina Santos
Senior Hiring Manager
UCSF Medical Center
(112) 233-4455
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Santos,
During my precept placement at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, I received a personal letter of thanks from a patient for spotting a potentially life-threatening situation in the early stages. My excellent clinical knowledge and quick thinking allowed me to alert the supervising doctor and contributed toward saving the patient’s life. I am excited to apply the same attention to detail as a nurse at the UCSF Medical Center.
UCSF’s commitment to providing cutting-edge patient care using innovative research and technology excites me as a newly-qualified nurse. I know that you require a compassionate individual able to provide person-centered and attentive care to patients with complex conditions, and I believe that my recent achievements demonstrate my suitability for the role. These include:
- Achieving 98% positive patient feedback scores during my precept placement
- Receiving praise during every assessment cycle for my efficiency and knowledge of treatment pathways
- Achieving consistent scores of 90%+ for theoretical and practical assessments
I would like to attend an interview to explore how my outstanding care plan management skills and passionate work ethic can benefit your service users. Please get in touch to agree on a convenient time.
Sincerely,
Sheridan Bonilla
P.S. I would like to share how I achieved a 99% patient confidence rating on placement.
Sarah Davidson
Home Health Aide | [email protected] | (923) 758-8374 | 64 Zoo Lane., Tampa, FL 33613
February 11, 2021
Charlie Brown
Senior Hiring Manager
Tampa Hospital
(364) 193-1163
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Brown,
In my current role as a home health aide, I am regularly commended for my comforting manner and care efficiency. At present, I am responsible for the care of 15 elderly patients who remain in the 98th percentile for lack of sores. With my dedication to patient well-being and seven years of home caregiving experience, I believe I would be an asset to the Tampa Hospital nursing team.
I am looking to begin a career in nursing as I feel it would allow me to expand my skills and provide care to a greater number of patients. I was initially drawn to the nursing role at Tampa Hospital because of the organization’s focus on patient well-being. Despite being new to nursing, I believe I have many transferable skills and achievements, such as:
- Managing patient mobility to ensure all patients remain in the 98th percentile for lack of falls
- Handling a daily caseload of 15-20 patients
- A comforting bedside manner, which is regularly praised by patients and staff
I am very interested in scheduling an interview to discuss my transferable skills and how my experience can benefit your team.
Sincerely,
Sarah Davidson
P.S. I’d love to explain how I got 99% scores in all record-keeping spot checks for the past two years!
James Jackson
Home Health Aide | [email protected] | (364) 846-2746 | 21 Cold Lane., San Francisco, CA 94105
February 17, 2021
Charlotte Smith
Senior Hiring Officer
San Francisco Hospital
(445) 148-8274
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Smith,
As a home health aide, I am responsible for the care of 20+ elderly patients each week, and for the last five years, I have completely prevented falls for each of the patients in my care. I have worked as a home health aide for elderly and disabled patients for 15 years, which has provided me with a range of transferable skills that I believe will make me a competent and passionate nurse at San Francisco Hospital.
I have decided to apply for a nursing position as I feel it would give me the opportunity to build on my preexisting skill set and provide care to a wider variety of patients. I am particularly interested in a nursing role at San Francisco Hospital because of the high-quality of care the hospital provides. Although I am new to nursing, I have a range of relevant achievements under my belt, including:
- Managing a heavy patient caseload
- Assisting with personal hygiene care
- Assuring patients remain in the 99th percentile for lack of sores
I would like to arrange an interview to further discuss how my health care experience will make me an asset to your nursing team.
Sincerely,
James Jackson
P.S. I’d also love to tell you why I was nominated for a Compassionate Care Leadership Award.
Entry-Level Nurse Cover Letter Checklist
Your entry-level nurse cover letter should have these five elements:
1. Heading. Emphasize the heading by using a formatting template. Include your contact information, the date you wrote the letter, and the recipient’s contact information.
2. Salutation. If the job advertisement mentions the HR rep or hiring manager’s name, use that name in your cover letter: “Dear Ms. Jones” or “Dear Mr. Thompson.” Otherwise, use “Dear Hiring Manager” as your greeting.
3. Introduction. Write an opening paragraph that convinces the hiring manager you’re interested in the job.
4. Body paragraphs. The body paragraphs should provide information on your education, professional skills, and work experience to help the hiring manager understand why you’re qualified. Consider breaking up large blocks of text with a bulleted list.
5. Closing section. Bring your cover letter to a close with a call to action: a direct request for the hiring manager to contact you to schedule an interview. To draw even more attention to your achievements, add a P.S. below your signature.
Introduction
Your introduction is where you need to grab the hiring manager’s attention and explain why you’re interested in the entry-level nursing job. Start by picking one of your greatest accomplishments and mentioning it in the first sentence of the intro. For best results, choose an accomplishment that can be quantified in some way.
When writing your intro, avoid generic statements about your education and work experience. You’ll want to be as specific as possible to make a good first impression.
Good
Passing the National Council Licensure Examination with a score of 97% is one of my greatest achievements as a recent BSN graduate. I’m committed to applying the same amount of effort to the entry-level nursing role at Rio Rancho Community Hospital as I did studying for the NCLEX.
Bad
I recently graduated from nursing school and am interested in working at Rio Rancho Community Hospital.
Body Paragraphs
Start the first body paragraph with a statement that expresses interest in the position and explains why you’re excited about working with a particular employer. Be as specific as possible; if you can copy and paste the same paragraph into multiple cover letters, it’s too generic and should be revised.
The next step is to pick out several accomplishments to mention in the next paragraph. As a recent graduate in search of an entry-level nursing job, you may want to focus on your education, clinical placements, and NCLEX score. For each achievement, include a measurable outcome to show the hiring manager you have potential. Avoid generic achievements that can’t be quantified.
Good
As a recent graduate of the University of New Mexico, I’m excited about the prospect of working for Rio Rancho Community Hospital and supporting the mission of providing quality care to every member of the community, regardless of their financial circumstances.
I’m excited to apply my clinical skills and knowledge of nursing theory in an acute-care setting. Some of my most recent accomplishments include:
- Receiving a 4.8/5 overall rating for all of my clinical placements, including a score of 5.0 for my pediatric nursing assignment
- Ranking in the top 5% of my graduating class at the University of New Mexico School of Nursing
- Earning a $4,000 academic excellence scholarship for seniors in the UNM nursing program, awarded based on my 3.78 GPA
Bad
Your ad mentioned you’re looking for a recent graduate for an entry-level nursing position. I just graduated in May and would like a nursing job at Rio Rancho Community Hospital.
Closing
The closing section should include a strong call to action — a direct request for the hiring manager to contact you. In most cases, you want the hiring manager to call or email you to schedule an interview. Avoid generic statements about how you appreciate the hiring manager’s time or look forward to getting a response.
For an even stronger conclusion, pick another achievement and include it in a P.S. underneath your signature. An eye-catching P.S. gives you another chance to draw attention to your qualifications. Remember to choose something quantifiable to make the greatest impact.
Good
It would be a privilege to meet with you and discuss why my qualifications are a great fit for Rio Rancho Community Hospital and its mission to provide affordable medical care to patients of all ages. Please call me at (123) 456-7890 or email me at [email protected] to set up an interview at a time that’s convenient for your schedule.
Best regards,
Jamie O’Hara
P.S. I’d love to tell you about the time I received a patient satisfaction score of 98% during my med/surg rotation!
Bad
Thank you for reviewing my application. I hope to hear from you about this nursing job soon.
Best regards,
Jamie O’Hara