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Registered Nurse (RN) Cover Letter Examples for 2024

06/12/2024

Registered Nurse (RN) Cover Letter Examples for 2024

You’re a healthcare superhero with scrubs instead of a cape and expert RN skills. But how can you prove that to the hospital’s HR team? Do it with your RN cover letter.

Tom Gerencer

Career Expert

06/12/2024

You just found an RN cover letter sample that gets jobs. In a stack of other letters, it’ll shine like Katie Duke. That matters more than you might think.

See, there are 203,000 new nurses every year. They all need jobs. And your cover letter for RN jobs must stick out like a standing order to get noticed. Write a targeted RN letter and they’ll be calling stat.

In this article, you’ll get:

Two sample RN cover letters: one for senior and one for new grad RN jobs.
Steps to write a flawless cover letter for RNs.
A template cover letter for RN positions you can customize for your career.

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Looking for other cover letter examples for positions in healthcare and wellbeing? See:

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Cover Letter Examples.

Let’s start with two professional cover letter examples for RNs:

1. Registered Nurse (RN) Cover Letter Examples

Here’s JoBeth.

She’s been a nurse since M*A*S*H was on the air. She knows anatomy and protocols, but not how to convince the hiring team of that. She’s applying for her dream nursing job. The ad calls for skills in patient care, documentation, and administering medication.

Watch JoBeth nail it with this senior RN cover letter sample:

Example #1: Experienced RN Candidate

Text version

JoBeth Zerkle

3376 Fancher Drive

Dallas, TX 75219

510-914-6820

jobethzerkle@gmail.com

linkedin.com/jobethzerkle

12/17/19

Aida Lemos

Human Resources Manager

Lower Valley Medical Center

331 Waldeck Street

Dallas, TX 75207

Dear Ms. Lemos,

I'm excited to apply to the RN position at LVMC. Being rated at a consistent 95%+ by administrators at SRMC for efficiency, accuracy, and teamwork puts me in a good place in my career. Working as an RN at LVMC would help me advance to the next step. Your mission of providing better care and furthering the education of employees is exactly where my career path leads next.

I believe my skills in medication administration, documentation, and patient care fit well with your needs. The following accomplishments at SRMC have prepared me for the job:

Documented procedures, treatments, vitals, and medications with 100% accuracy.
Administered medications through IV, injection, oral, and other routes.
Cared for patients daily in a 30-bed intensive care unit with 95% positive feedback from superiors.

I'd relish the opportunity to speak with you about how I can contribute to patient care excellence at LVMC. Could we set aside some time to talk soon?

Best regards,

JoBeth Zerkle, RN

214-284-2795

jobethzerkle@gmail.com

PS — I'd also be glad to share how I helped our ward realize a 25% drop in medical errors through the development of new process guidelines.

With that sample RN cover letter, she’ll be rocking Allbirds soon.

“Hey, hit the brakes there, speedy! I just got my RN license! I can’t claim all that!”

Don’t fret. Same day, different state:

Kelly passed the NCLEX and found a listing for an entry-level RN job. It needs skills in phlebotomy, wound dressing, and specimen collection. This sample cover letter for an RN job will get her hired:

Example #2: New Grad RN Cover Letter Sample

rn cover letter

Text version

Kelly Dickey

415-470-6900

kellyzdickey@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/kellyzdickey

12/17/19

Iva Shelton

HR Director

Carlton Ramirez Medical Center

1608 Delaware Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94103

Dear Ms. Shelton,

I'm thrilled to apply for the RN opening at CRMC. Your facility has a reputation for its focus on healing, caring, and teaching. As a new graduate of Purdue University with a BS in Nursing, I know I've got a chance to help people. I believe working as an RN at CRMC would help me maximize my skill set.

Your job ad says you need an RN skilled in phlebotomy, wound dressing, and specimen collection. I excelled in phlebotomy coursework and worked as a teacher's assistant in wound dressing and medicine administration. I also maintained a 97% positive score for specimen collection as a precept nurse.

I'd love to chat with you about starting my healthcare career journey as an RN at CRMC. Could we set a time next week to meet?

Best regards,

Kelly Dickey, RN

415-470-6900

kellyzdickey@gmail.com

Get your scrubs ready. You’ll need them with that RN cover letter sample. But you'll also need a resume—So see our guides:

Nursing Resume Sample & Guide

Nursing Student Resume Sample & Guide

2. How to Write a Cover Letter for RN Jobs Step by Step (Template)

First step to getting hired? Get them to notice your resume. That starts with a Cedars-Sinai-level cover letter.

Here’s how to write a cover letter for RN jobs that works:

1. Use the Best RN Cover Letter Format

They’ll ignore your RN application if your cover letter format is pumpkin positive. Here’s how to format an RN cover letter:

Start with the professional 3-paragraph format.
Left-align the sections of your cover letter.
Use single line spacing and 1-inch margins.
Keep your cover letter length at less than a page.
Choose a single cover letter font and use it in your resume.

2. Put Contact Info in Your Cover Letter Header

Don’t goof your cover letter heading. Put the right contact info in the proper order.

See this cover letter sample for RN jobs:

RN Cover Letter Example Template: Heading

[Your Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email]

[LinkedIn Profile]

[Date]

[Hiring Manager Name]

[Title]

[Facility]

[Address]

[City, State, Zip]

Expert Hint: Nurses get more back injuries than construction workers, according to research by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the job listing describes “physically demanding work,” show stamina in your RN cover letter.

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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. Cite the Job Title and Manager Name

Warning:

That hospital hiring manager is bored, bored, bored. She’s read 100 resumes today. They look as alike as johnnies. If you don’t catch her eye, you’re CTD.

So—address your cover letter with the manager’s name. Then, switch to something that’ll keep her reading.

Follow this template:

RN Cover Letter Sample: Paragraph #1

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I'm excited to apply to the RN position at [Facility Name]. Achieving [Achievement That Fits Their Needed Skills] puts me in a good place in my career. Working as an RN at [Facility Name] would help me advance to the next step. Your mission of [A Fact or Two From Their Mission Statement] is exactly where my career path leads next.

That sample cover letter for RN jobs is on point. But, what if your RN experience is still prenatal? In a new grad RN cover letter with no experience, start with:

A great moment from nursing school
A glowing reference from an insider, or—
Something you love about the facility

4. List RN Skills & Achievements

You want the interview. But you won’t get it if you look generic like Lisinopril. To sell the charge nurse on your skills show healthcare accomplishments in your RN cover letter.

Here’s a template:

Example Cover Letter for RN: Paragraph #2

I believe my skills in [3 Skills They Asked for in the Job Ad] fit well with your needs for the role. The following accomplishments at [Your Last Employer] have prepared me for the job:

[RN Skill #1]. [RN Achievement #1]
[RN Skill #2]. [RN Achievement #2]
[RN Skill #3]. [RN Achievement #3]

Expert Hint: There are over 200,000 new nursing degrees awarded every year—and rising! That’s according to a report from Dartmouth University. To stand out, suture your cover letter for RNs to the job by basing it on keywords from the ad.

5. Request the Interview

Patients who advocate get more attention. It’s the same in a cover letter for RN jobs. If you ask for the interview you’re more likely to get it. But there are rules.

In paragraph #3 of your cover letter, remind them of your interest. Then ask.

This sample RN cover letter ending nails it:

Sample Cover Letter for RN Jobs: Call to Action

I'd relish the opportunity to speak with you about how I can contribute to patient care excellence at [Facility Name]. Could we set aside some time to talk soon?

Best regards,

[Digital Signature]

[Full Name, Title]

[Phone Number]

[Email]

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Key Points

To write a cover letter for RN jobs:

Use the three-paragraph RN cover letter format.
Address the hiring manager by name, and share a Rich Bluni-level fact.
List your biggest healthcare accomplishments in paragraph two.
Close your cover letter for RN jobs by requesting the interview.
If you just graduated, check out our guide to writing a new grad RN nurse cover letter.

Do you have questions about writing RN cover letters? Need more cover letter samples for RN jobs? Let’s chat in the comments below. And thanks for reading!

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