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New Grad RN Cover Letter Examples + How-to Guide

01/11/2024

New Grad RN Cover Letter Examples + How-to Guide

You are a new grad RN, and you look almost convincing in scrubs. With this guide, your cover letter will be most definitely convincing.

Dave Rygielski

Career Expert

Some people went to college simply because they had no other idea what to do. Not you. Some people take the job they are given, as soon as getting a job they want gets hard. Not you.

With over 200,000 new nurses joining the ranks every year, so many new grad RN cover letters land in the trash can. Not yours.

In this guide you’ll see:

New grad RN cover letter templates that get the interviews.
A guide on the business cover letter format.
A quick template with blanks that you can have ready inside 15 minutes.

See this example.

New Grad RN Cover Letter Example

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Daniel J. Noe, RN

4243 White Avenue

New York, NY 10013

321-415-2252

danielj@noe.com

New York, Sept 25, 2021

Cynthia Employer

Hiring Manager

General Medical

1 Main Avenue

New York, NY 10013

Dear Cynthia,

As a recent 3.8 GPA BS Nursing graduate at the University of Minnesota, I am excited at the prospect of joining your team at General Medical. During my study, I performed a six-week clinical practice in the different units of Saint Paul Hospital. I have been commended for my performance by the Ward Director, and it planted a motivation to become an oncological nurse for which I believe General Medical would be the perfect place.

During my clinical practice, I was responsible for up to 12 non-critical condition patients in the oncological unit, monitoring their vitals and treatments, as well as providing empathy and consultation. I worked hand-in-hand with full-time staff, including emergency calls and weekends. I was commended by the Ward Director, Prof. Jones for the improvement in mood I brought the patients in my care. I performed all my duties with highest diligence and accuracy, a fact to which the Director can also attest to. I was top of my class in 10 out of the 19 courses I undertook during my college study.

I have had the desire to help people ever since my father spent 2 years in a coma during my teenage years, but the clinical practice in oncology specifically directed this desire. I believe that General Medical, with a new $17m oncology ward as well as a dynamic research department will be the perfect place for me to grow and provide world-class care.

When would be a good time to schedule a call or interview for us to discuss the challenges you are facing at General Medical?

Best Regards,

Daniel J. Noe

Daniel skillfully uses a mix of academic and internship achievements to paint a picture of a perfect candidate, and furthermore, one that wants to work exactly there.

Do you need to write a resume? See our other dedicated guides:

Let’s write your own new grad RN cover letter.

How to Write a New Grad RN Cover Letter That Gets Interviews

1. Sterilize the Cover Letter Format

Organized. Neat. Clean. Approachable. That’s what a new registered nurse needs to be. It is also exactly what your cover letter needs to be.

Start with a professional business cover letter format:

Use a font consistent with your resume font.
Write a three-paragraph cover letter.
Set margins at 1 inch.
Left-align the parts of your cover letter, and single-space your text.
Keep the length of your cover letter to one page.

Next, let’s talk about what to include in your cover letter.

2. Make a Header With Your Contact Information

For your information, copy your resume header. Beneath, leave a line, record the city and date of the letter, another space, and the details of the person you’re addressing the letter to. If you can’t figure out who that is, use the telephone. It’s not a big secret, but it will be a nice touch.

Make sure you have these details down:

Cover Letter For New grad RN: Header

[ Your Full Name], RN

[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)

[ Address ]

[ Phone Number ]

[ Email Address ]

[ LinkedIn Profile ] (Optional)

[ City and Date ]

[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]

[ Hiring Manager’s Position ]

[ Company Name ]

[ Company Street Address ]

[ City and Zip Code ]

Expert Hint: You’re in luck! The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in 2023, there will be more RN positions than any other profession. Make sure you have a perfect resume.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

3. Identify Yourself and the Position

Address your cover letter by first name if you’re dealing with recruiters. If your application is going to get dealt with by the doctors, it may not seem appropriate to them. Use the proper medical title and surname to stay on the sure side.

The first paragraph of your new grad RN cover letter must be more concise than a patient report. Focus on the vital, numeric information that will inform their decision—your GPA and the amount of clinical practice hours you have.

If you’re applying for a graduate program, or a position that requires only a degree and not much else, there’s going to be thick competition, and a lot of disorganization. Don’t waste people’s time. Starting your cover letter, right away state the position you’re applying for.

You only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention—so give them a good reason to keep on reading, like listing one of the key requirements of the job and supplying a metric that proves your aptitude in this branch. Think achievements, awards, numbers.

Start with this:

New grad RN Cover Letter: Introduction

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],

Graduating from [School Name] with a [X] GPA in [Degree Name], I am excited and finally ready to apply to a Registered Nurse position at [Target Institution Name]. During my study, I recorded [X] clinical practice hours in the [Department] departments. I also discovered [calling / motivation / path of specialty], which led to me seek positions which will allow me to [develop in some way] and I believe [Target Institution Name] is the perfect place for that with its [unit / equipment / staff / reputation / etc.]

Expert Hint: Applying for an internship? It might require a different approach. Write a targeted internship cover letter with our guide.

4. Dose Them With Reasons To Choose You

This is the most vital part of your new grad RN cover letter. You must display a mix of academic aptitude and an understanding of the reality of the job. Discuss the duties you performed that usually belonged to qualified nurses. Think about the times you went beyond.

Whatever you do, don’t rattle off a list of boring responsibilities and procedures you did. It is better to speak in detail about one unique thing you learned than to rattle off a list of 30 procedures every nurse knows how to do anyway.

Like this:

New grad RN Cover Letter Sample: Second Paragraph

Your [Target Position Name] position calls for a candidate with a degree in [refer to the requirements of the job]. I not only fulfilled that requirement, but excelled in [your best or most relevant coursework]. During clinical practice I gained experience in [relevant experience], as well as [relevant experience]. I can easily translate those skills to help me better perform my duties as a [Target Position Name].

Expert Hint: You can look to bolster the chances of your resume with added certifications. The American Heart Association's Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) is in particularly high demand.

5. Raise The Pressure, Tell Them Why You Chose Them

Yeah, ok, soon enough there will be more registered nurses than any other professions in the US. You have to play the numbers game and you will end up with a job. However, part of playing the numbers game is making every shot count.

Spend some time researching the institution you’re applying to and find something you can relate yourself and your motivation to. Make them feel like it’s the only application you sent.

Fill in the [blanks]:

New Grad RN Cover Letter Sample: Third Paragraph

Joining [Target Organization Name] would be not only a perfect opportunity for me to grow by benefiting from your know-how and [what they do], but also an instant and seamless culture-fit that would benefit everyone as [something you found out about their values] is something that is important to me personally.

6. Ask For an Interview And Close the Deal

“I look forward to hearing from you.” Well, you can keep looking. For jobs. Be decisive and ask for a call or interview. Find a good talking point to reference here, preferably something from their website.

You’re not going to be any less qualified than other fresh RN grads. You don’t ask, you don’t get. When you’re done, sign off your cover letter professionally with a ‘Best Regards’.

Like this:

New grad RN Cover Letter Sample: Sign Off & Call to Action

When would be a good time to have a call or a meeting to discuss how my [your best, most relevant skill/experience/their most important requirement] experience can help [Target Organization Name] achieve [something important to this employer]?

Best Regards,

[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]

[Your Full Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

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Key Points

As you write a cover letter for new grad RN positions, remember to:

Copy your resume header to your new grad RN cover letter, and check the info of the hiring manager.
State what position you’re applying to, and introduce yourself with a strong achievement in the first paragraph. (60-80 words)
Demonstrate your academic prowess and clinical practice backed up with your achievements and metrics in the second paragraph. (120-200 words)
Relate your motivation to the employer by finding out something about them and linking it to a promise of your performance. (40-60 words)
Request an interview and sign formally.

How did you find the new grad rn cover letter templates ? Did you find our new grad registered nurse cover letter sample helpful? Leave us a comment, I’ll be more than happy to hear from you!

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