Registered Nurse cover letter example
A strong registered nurse cover letter connects your best results to what the employer needs, in under a page. The example below is written from the same sample career as our registered nurse resume example, so you can see how a letter and resume work together. Swap in your own facts.
A fictional, illustrative example - not a real person, employer or result.
Registered Nurse cover letter sample
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am excited to apply for the Registered Nurse position at [Company Name]. I am a registered nurse with 6 years of experience in medical-surgical and telemetry care at a 400-bed teaching hospital.
In my current role as Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit at Desert Valley Medical Center, I care for 5–6 patients per shift on a 36-bed med-surg/telemetry unit. I also led a fall-prevention project (hourly rounding, bed alarms) that reduced unit falls by 40% in one year.
Before that, as Registered Nurse at Mesa Community Hospital, I provided post-operative care for orthopedic and general surgery patients. The skills I would bring to [Company Name] include med-surg and telemetry care; Epic EHR documentation; and IV therapy and wound care.
I would love to discuss how my experience fits your team's plans for the year ahead. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Grace Thompson
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How to write a registered nurse cover letter
- 1. Open with the role and your strongest match
Name the job and the company, then sum up who you are in one sentence, as the sample does: “I am a registered nurse with 6 years of experience in medical-surgical and telemetry care at a 400-bed teaching hospital.”
- 2. Prove it with one or two results
Pick the achievements that matter most for this employer and keep the numbers. For a registered nurse, a result like “Care for 5–6 patients per shift on a 36-bed med-surg/telemetry unit.” says more than a list of duties.
- 3. Show the skills the posting asks for
Mention the tools and skills from the job description that you genuinely have, for example: Med-surg and telemetry care; Epic EHR documentation; IV therapy and wound care; Charge nurse coordination.
- 4. Close with a clear next step
Thank the reader and say you would welcome a conversation. Keep the whole letter to one page.
Mistakes to avoid
- !Repeating your resume line by line instead of choosing the two results that matter most for this job
- !Opening with "I am writing to express my interest" - start with the role and why you fit
- !Sending the same letter to every employer without naming the company or the role
- !Hiding the license number/state or certifications
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a cover letter be?
- Between 250 and 400 words on one page: an opening, one or two paragraphs of evidence and a short close.
- Who should I address it to?
- Use the hiring manager’s name when you can find it. Otherwise “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Company] Hiring Team” is fine.
- Do I need a cover letter if it is optional?
- Yes, when you can tailor it. A short, specific letter is one of the easiest ways to stand out from applicants who skip it.
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