You’ve just completed your education. Then you see it: a New Grad Nurse position at the top hospital in your area. You type up an application. Cover letter? Meh. I’ll just whip up a generic copy-paste job, nobody reads them.
Do that, and the response will be like a staff nap room at the end of a night shift—silence. You’ll need a prescription for a cure-all new grad nurse cover letter to stop that from happening! Read on and learn how to write a cover letter that’d make Clara Barton proud.
This guide will show you:
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
New Grad Registered Nurse Cover Letter for a Resume—See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.
Looking for other jobs in healthcare too? See:
Want to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career: Best Cover Letter Examples for All Professions
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Lisa Wilkinson
101 W Lombard St
Baltimore, MD 21201
555-847-9234
linkedin.com/in/lisawilkinson.zety
11/28/2019
Mildred Ratched
Head of Recruitment
Willow View Hospital
800 S Caton Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21229
Dear Ms Ratched,
I am writing to apply for the Graduate Nurse position with Willow View Hospital. While pursuing my BS in Nursing at the University of Maryland I undertook clinical practice experience in a busy inner-city hospital just like Willow View, which reinforced my passion for delivering outstanding patient care in a challenging environment. Your reputation for excellence in patient care and as a center for surgical innovation makes Willow View the ideal place to get my nursing career off to the best start possible.
In my clinical practice experience my communication skills and ability to interpret diagnostic testing results gave me highly-scored evaluations by my preceptors, placing me in the top 10% of my class. For further training I undertook a summer externship, giving me experience in a constantly challenging ER where I worked alongside qualified staff, working off shift and weekends. This experience has built my resilience and adaptability and given me the ability to start my nursing career with confidence, and determination to constantly improve my skills.
I have wanted to pursue a career in nursing ever since spending time in hospital as a child and seeing the crucial role nurses played in patient care. Working as a Graduate Nurse at Willow View is renowned for being challenging and an environment where only the best will thrive. This is precisely my motivation for applying for this position because my career goal is to become an outstanding RN who delivers outstanding patient care.
Can we set a time to discuss how my thorough knowledge of nursing protocols can contribute to Willow View’s glowing reputation?
Yours Sincerely,
Lisa Wilkinson
Graduate Nurse
P.S. I’d also love to tell you how I was graded in the top 5% of my class in my patient care coursework.
That’s a prognosis for success!
Match your cover letter with a resume fully indicated for use with it. Examine our guide: How to Write a Nursing Resume [20+ Examples & Template]
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Just as an NCP needs to be carefully structured to maximize the chance of positive patient outcomes, a cover letter needs a solid structure to maximize your chances of success.
Here’s a simple template to use.
That’s our plan. Now it’s time to implement it.
How should you format a new graduate nurse cover letter? It should be standard business letter format but what does that mean? One-inch margins? Left-align? See our guide: Cover Letter Format: A Complete How-To
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The header and greeting are at the top left of the page. That’s scientifically proven to be the first place people look so get your first impression right.
The header is nothing more than the contact details section. You need your name and address, phone number, and email address.
Then a space, the date, and the name of the hiring manager and the address of the place of work you’re applying to.
Another space and follow with the salutation. That’s just a fancy way of describing the greeting. Speaking of which, never go with “To Whom It May Concern” in your cover letter. Apart from the fact it sounds like it should be wearing a top hat and spats, it harms your chances of being hired.
You’ll have a much better chance of success if you address your new grad RN cover letter to the recipient by name. It instantly activates their brain in a unique way, getting them opened up for the letter that follows.
It also puts you ahead of the 84% of applicants who don’t even bother personalizing their application.
But enough talk, in your profession you know you learn by seeing real examples, so let’s go.
Lisa Wilkinson
101 W Lombard St
Baltimore, MD 21201
555-847-9234
linkedin.com/in/lisawilkinson.zety
11/28/2019
Mildred Ratched
Head of Recruitment
Willow View Hospital
800 S Caton Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21229
Dear Ms Ratched,
Simple isn’t it? Now we’ll move on to the cover letter itself.
Pro Tip: Make the email address a clickable link to make it easier for the recruiter. If you include your LinkedIn then also make it a clickable link.
3
Demographic changes mean you’re entering an industry where demand is high and increasing. This is great news until you realize it doesn’t focus specifically on graduate nurses.
For graduate nurses reports indicate some graduates are having difficulty finding employment. So don’t be lulled into a false sense of security.
Consider this: recruiters and hiring managers are fast. They take an average of 7.4 seconds to scan each resume they see and it takes just moments to scan a cover letter, too.
You have to catch their attention quickly, and keep it.
Here’s how to stop your cover letter being triage tagged black:
As a new grad nurse, you’re in an unusual position with regards to your cover letter. The third point just there usually applies to experienced professionals. However, real hands-on experience is an integral part of your education so you can use it to your advantage.
You’re going to use a strategy that mixes experience, passion and career goals to make a cover letter more powerful than a dose of vancomycin. Now it’s example time.
| RIGHT |
|---|
I am writing to apply for the Graduate Nurse position with Willow View Hospital. While pursuing my BS in Nursing at the University of Maryland I undertook clinical practice experience in a busy inner-city hospital just like Willow View, which triggered my passion for delivering outstanding patient care in a challenging environment. Your reputation for excellence in patient care and as a center for surgical innovation makes Willow View the ideal place to grow my nursing career. |
| WRONG |
|---|
I’ve just graduated with a BS in Nursing from the University of Maryland. I’m particularly interested in pursuing a specialty in pediatric nursing and I have practical clinical experience and completed two summer externships while completing my degree. |
That first example is so good you can put on your scrubs now, you’re hired. It introduces the candidate, mentioning the job and the hospital she’s applying to.
There’s not just experience, but experience relevant to the hospital being applied to. Then there’s knowledge of its areas of excellence that fit in with the candidate’s career goals.
The second makes you wonder if they even read the job ad. Now that’s our pre-op done, let’s get into the surgery itself.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Should a graduate nurse cover letter be a half-page or longer? See our guide: How Long Should A Cover Letter Be? Sample & Guide
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I mentioned pre-op just now so imagine you’ve done everything correctly only to have the surgeon mess things up when it comes to the operation. I know, it’d be a disaster.
Same goes for getting the recruiter all set with an amazing intro then falling flat in the rest of the letter. That’s a disaster, too. A no job disaster.
Keep up the momentum by writing a new graduate nurse cover letter made up of two paragraphs.
In the first outline your experience and achievements, making it relevant to the job. Show an understanding of the duties of the role.
Remember, you’re a graduate RN you’ve got real experience already.
In the second explain your motivation and why you want this position in particular, not just any old nursing job. This is how to do it.
| RIGHT |
|---|
In my clinical practice experience my communication skills and ability to interpret diagnostic testing results gave me highly-scored evaluations by my preceptors, placing me in the top 10% of my class. For further training I undertook a summer externship, giving me experience in a constantly challenging ER where I worked alongside qualified staff, working off shift and weekends. This experience has built my resilience and adaptability and given me the ability to start my nursing career with confidence, and determination to constantly improve my skills.
I have wanted to pursue a career in nursing ever since spending time in hospital as a child and seeing the crucial role nurses played in patient care. Working as a Graduate Nurse at Willow View is renowned for being challenging and an environment where only the best will thrive. This is precisely my motivation for applying for this position because my career goal is to become an outstanding RN who delivers outstanding patient care. |
| WRONG |
|---|
As you can see from my enclosed academic record I’ve obtained high grades for all of the required modules in my BS in Nursing. I have maintained a particular interest in anatomy, patient care, and nursing research. Not to mention undertaking the required clinical practice modules.
I am aware that education alone will not fully train me to become an effective RN. Therefore I am looking to gain experience in a working hospital environment to gain the practical skills I need to succeed. I believe my experience and skills are an excellent foundation on which to build a career. |
The first example is pure Florence Nightingale. There is passionate motivation, experience, and achievements. All targeted to the job.
As for the second? That’s more Nurse Jackie. You can tell this same letter gets sent to everyone.
Pro Tip: Don’t just rely on the job description to target your cover letter. Why not try an informational interview to find out even more.
Your new grad nursing cover letter is starting to look good, but you’re about to one last thing to make it great. Let’s cross the finish line.
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I have to apologize, as a new grad RN who’ll be spending plenty of time in an ER taking BP readings you don’t need yet another abbreviation. But it’s just one, I promise.
CTA stands for “call to action” and it’s the panacea for post-job application silence. You know, that sensation of tumbleweeds gently rolling behind you in the days after you hit the send button.
The reason nobody called back could simply be that you didn’t ask them to. Don’t just say “interview me” though, you’ve got to give in order to receive.
Once more, here are some practical examples for your new grad nursing cover letter.
| RIGHT |
|---|
Can we set a time to discuss how my thorough knowledge of nursing protocols can contribute to Willow View’s glowing reputation?
Yours Sincerely,
Lisa Wilkinson Graduate Nurse
P.S. I’d also love to tell you how I was graded in the top 5% of my class in my patient care coursework. |
| WRONG |
|---|
Thank you kindly for your time and please see my resume attached. I am confident that I’m the best candidate for the job and look forward to speaking with you at an interview. |
The second one is about as appealing as a full bedpan. What possible reason could the recruiter have to pick up the phone apart from your claim that you’re the best candidate?
The first one though, that’s a comfy pair of crocs on a pair of tired RN feet. It adds a double dose of passion and enthusiasm with careful attention to the clinical provider’s needs.
Then that P.S. at the end adds one last impressive achievement that’s sure to catch the hiring manager’s eye.
And we’re done, you’ve got a cover letter for a new grad nurse that’ll get you the job of your choosing.
Struggling to come up with a winning sign off for your new grad nurse cover letter? See our guide: How to End a Cover Letter
Here’s a reminder of how to write your new grad RN cover letter:
Thanks for reading. Got more questions about writing a new grad nurse cover letter? Let us know in the comments section. We’re here to cure your cover letter challenges.
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