Nursing Cover Letters

Cover letters, whether for a nursing job or another kind of job, are commonly four or five paragraphs long and generally follow a template.

First, mention the position, the organization, how you heard about the nursing job, and your current employment status. Make sure to include why you are writing (i.e., "The school nurse job described in Nursing Magazine is a perfect match for my knowledge, skills, and abilities.").

In your cover letter, mention your resume briefly, but only to highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant for the potential employer and for the particular position you are applying for. This lets the employer know that you are not only qualified, but also interested enough in the organization to have done some outside research about it.

Address your nursing job cover letter to a specific person (double-check the spelling with a phone call or a visit to the employer’s website if you are unsure) and end the letter by providing a phone number where the potential employer can contact you for more information.

If you are sending a cover letter by email, all the same suggestions apply with the additional added caveat; don’t use emoticons or less formal language than you would in a hard copy. The web may be laid back on MySpace.com, but not on your typical nursing careers website.