Letter of recommendation for nursing school aims to recommend a particular student for admission to a medical or graduate school. The recommendation letter also characterizes a person when applying for employment in a hospital or clinic.
Due to the high competition in medicine, the nurses’ recommendation letters have a lot of weight. The paper usually characterizes the student as an ideal future employee in the field. Therefore, this form is a crucial determinant of the decision the admissions committee reaches. In common practice, medical schools require three letters of recommendation to get a comprehensive knowledge of the applicant.
We have prepared a general overview of this form for you. The article covers the main clauses of nurse reference letters and the general rules of writing one. It also contains samples of letters for different recipients. However, this information is not entirely comprehensive. Each medical school has its rules for creating recommendation papers, so please refer to educational institutions’ official websites for more details.
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Any person intending to join a nursing school should have three recommendation letters. Usually, two letters are written by science professors and one by a non-science professor. The author of the recommendation should be the applicant’s teacher of a class the applicant is scoring high grades. Only then can the recommendations be considered convincing, especially since they can give examples of your good educational achievement.
If your professor teaches in a large class where they cannot spend enough time getting to know you better, request your teaching assistant. They can help your head professor write a recommendation letter and provide relevant information about your aspirations and achievements. An alternative is to meet the professor during their working hours and be more active so that they remember you as an extraordinary student.
Other people who can author recommendation letters are the director of the graduate school, the head of a research project, and the head of a volunteer program. In other words, it is almost any person who stands both for academic and administrative positions. Anyone considered powerful enough in your educational institution is suitable to write the letter. The author’s institutional position is vital, so it is indicated in the letter header.
You can request any of the persons mentioned above to write a letter of recommendation. To let the professor or assistant understand what information should be included, provide them with your CV, application for admission, and information about the school or graduate school program. These documents help the author make the best recommendation and link your past and current achievements to the prospects for the academic program. Using these details, the writer can present a portfolio that meets the requirements of the school.
The student can take care of a good recommendation in advance. It does not mean that you need to be an upstart for the sake of the letter. However, when in the classroom, remember that classroom work is essential not just for the current learning process but also for your future. A good relationship with the professor will help to get a truthful nursing student letter of recommendation.
As we have already noted, the letter of recommendation can be a decisive factor to accept or reject an applicant. Therefore, the author of the letter should carefully consider all the points of the content. Since this letter characterizes the applicant, it should include a list of positive qualities and prove their prospects in school or graduate school. However, the letter should not be like a piece of fiction writing on “how excellent my student is.” Below, we will look at the key points and their purpose.
In terms of content, the nursing character reference letter contains two parts, namely identification and informational. The identification data includes the applicant’s full name, the name and address of the institution where they study, the author’s name and their contact details, and the calendar date of the letter compilation. Please be sure that you have specified the full legal names. Even if you work at a well-known college or school, avoid abbreviations and colloquialisms.
The information or content part concerns the academic achievements and prospects of the medical school applicant. Reveal the relationship between the author and the applicant, that is, how long you have known each other. List the achievements of the person you are writing about and the unique traits that make them competitive. Describe the results of their previous academic work. Highlight their progress over the years of training under your guidance and convincingly prove their potential for the future.
Conclude the description with an indication of the reasons why the applicant will undoubtedly succeed. Provide facts, refer to certificates, and mention internships to confirm your theses. Remember that the recommendation should be comprehensive. As the University of Washington campus website states, a good recommendation letter reveals academic achievement, while a great one also demonstrates the student’s personal qualities. The next
section of this article describes how to present the points mentioned above in the letter’s main body.
Structurally speaking, the letter contains three parts: the introduction, the main part, and the conclusion. Besides, do not forget to specify such formalities as the header and signature. Let us look at these points step by step.
1. Letterhead
Enter the full name of the author of the message. Provide information about the educational institution.
2. Introduction
Salute the reader and outline your position in the educational institution. Specify your role and department. Briefly introduce the applicant, indicating their current status and the nature of your relationship. Also, specify how long you have known each other.
3. Main Body
This part usually consists of two paragraphs. Generally, the first covers the student’s academic achievements, while the second reveals their personal characteristics.
In the first paragraph, specify the student’s grades and internships, if any. Demonstrate their progress during the training and qualities that led them to success, confirming continuous academic development. This paragraph covers more general information, while the following one details the data.
In the second paragraph, specify the character traits that help the student deal with tasks and cooperate with classmates and teachers. Show the student’s perseverance in achieving academic goals, their organizational and leadership skills. Give examples of cases when the student participated in the organization of school events and describe why your student is an ideal candidate for the nurse’s position.
In both paragraphs, provide anecdotes confirming your thesis, as well as the names of certificates, internships, and other achievements. Your goal in this part is to prove your student’s uniqueness and peculiarity and their prospects in the academic field. Use the usual rhetorical scheme when the thesis is accompanied by an anecdote that confirms the statement.
4. Conclusion
Summarize the key points of your comments above. Emphasize the connection of the student’s education and experience with the academic program for admission. Specify your phone number and email address and state that you are ready to provide additional information, if necessary.
5. Verification
Affix your signature and the date when you wrote the letter.
Before we get to the sample recommendations for nurses, let us pin down what to do and avoid when writing the letter.
It would help if you did the following:
You should avoid:
Now you can use sample letters of recommendation for nurses to make an application. Remember that you can adjust the paragraphs under the college or university requirements where the applicant enters.
Recommendation Letter for a Nursing Student
Dear Admissions Committee,
I am proud to recommend ___________ (full applicant’s name), who is applying for admission to the ___________ (name of the university) University’s nursing program. I have taught them in the four courses during ___________ (duration, for example, term(s) or academic year(s)). Along this time, they have shown outstanding academic ability and hard work.
As ___________’s (applicant’s name) teacher, I have witnessed their passion for subjects related to family medicine and child health. To this, they attended courses ___________ (list the subjects that are related to the student’s future specialization). ___________ (applicant’s name) has been an active participant in nursing seminars, which (he or she) has always carefully prepared for in advance. In ___________ (specify the dates) (he or she) spoke at a student panel discussion with a report on ___________ (indicate the topic). (He or She) prepared a report for the ___________ conference (name the conference) and made a presentation on ___________ (specify the date).
I do not know a more hardworking and patient person than ___________ (applicant’s name). I have always admired (his or her) compassion and empathy for patients. These qualities, however, do not prevent (him or her) from strictly and carefully compiling medical records. Diligence and ___________ (name other positive personal attributes) make (him or her) an outstanding student who is willing to learn constantly.
___________’s (applicant’s name) dedication and kindness make (him or her) worthy of your nursing program. I am deeply convinced that (he or she) will make a meaningful and crucial contribution if accepted. I am ready to provide you with more information about ___________’s (applicant’s name) academic achievements, so do not hesitate to contact me via ___________ (your phone number) or ___________ (email address).
Recommendation Letter for Nurse Practitioner
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter confidently recommends ___________ (full applicant’s name), who has worked as a nurse practitioner at ___________ (name the institution) under my supervision for ___________ (specify the term). During this time, (he or she) has shown professionalism and empathy towards patients, which is a rare combination.
___________ (applicant’s name) is the most hardworking and involved person I have ever supervised. (He or She) makes creative and intelligent use of the high-quality education (he or she) acquired at ___________ (name the college or university). (He or She) always finds a solution in difficult situations (provide an anecdote). ___________ (applicant’s name) desire to develop and study medical cases in detail is overwhelming. During (his or her) work, (he or she) had an internship ___________ (specify the name, duration, and location) regarding nursing issues.
___________ (applicant’s name) is always able to find a personal approach to the patient, making (his or her) stay in the clinic not only productive but also pleasant. The quality of (his or her) work is proven with practice since patients know (him or her) and seek (his or her) services. I will not exaggerate if I say that ___________ (applicant’s name) is in some way the face of our clinic.
I am sad to see ___________ (applicant’s name) leave our clinic, but I confidently recommend (him or her) for any nursing position as they deserve it. At (his or her) current job, (he or she) has established (himself or herself) as a brilliant, responsible, and executive employee. I am convinced that having (him or her) as a member of your staff will be a valuable asset. If you would like to know more, please call ___________ (your phone number) or email ___________ (email address) me.
Recommendation Letter for Nursing Graduate School
Knowing your graduate program as having high academic standards with a personal approach to students, I recommend ___________ (full applicant’s name) for admission. I have known (him or her) as (his or her) teacher for ___________ (specify the term) at ___________ (name the university). (He or she) is, forsooth, the most talented student in the class.
Throughout (him or her) training, ___________ (applicant’s name) maintained a consistently high learning score. (He or she) attended additional electives related to nursing, such as ___________ (name the courses and specify the number of credits). (He or she) also took part in conferences within our university and other educational institutions. These are such events as ___________ (list the names of conferences and panel discussions and specify the dates). During the practical classes, ___________ (applicant’s name) proved to be capable of applying theoretical knowledge appropriately.
___________ (applicant’s name) knows how to keep (his or her) cool and works well under pressure, which is a valuable quality for a nurse. (He or she) is a calm and patient person who can find a solution quickly when it is necessary. ___________ (applicant’s name) has a sound mind and never panics. Despite (his or her) high workload, (he or she) always helps classmates and colleagues who are stuck in their endeavors.
With (his or her) outstanding abilities in mind, I strongly recommend ___________ (applicant’s name) for your program. I am sure that (his or her) graduate training will give our medicine a highly educated worker, whether they are a theorist or a practitioner after that. I am ready to tell you more about ___________ (applicant’s name), so if you have any questions, please send them to the email ___________ (point out address) or call me by phone ___________ (specify the number).
As you can see, a letter of recommendation for a nurse is a paper that has a balance between personal and formal. On the one hand, you should follow a structure that will help you present your opinion succinctly and consistently. On the other hand, this document does not assume a universal formal language, as in tax returns. The author is supposed to improvise within certain limits. Use bright adjectives and precise characteristics that are memorable. Be sure to provide anecdotes; otherwise, the narrative will not be convincing enough!
If you are a student, provide your professor with your application and all the information on the program. If you are a professor, talk to the student before writing a recommendation to get more up-to-date information about their academic goals. The same applies to the supervisor or employer writing a letter of recommendation for a nurse.