Nurses are in high demand in the UK, with one in ten nursing positions unfilled in 2023.
So whether you’re a newly-qualified nurse looking for a supportive team to help you establish your career or an experienced nurse ready for a change of scene, there are many opportunities available across the country, both in the NHS and in private healthcare.
But to land yourself an interview for one of these opportunities, you’ll need a nursing cover letter that stands out to your potential new employer.
Here are three tips to help you create an impressive nursing cover letter so you can start the journey towards your dream job.
1. Start with a professional cover letter format
Professionalism is key in your role as a nurse, from interacting with patients to completing daily tasks. Before you start thinking about the content of your cover letter, make a good impression with a professional cover letter format.
Just as a tidy nurses’ station tells you everything you need to know about the work ethic of the team, a neat and organised cover letter demonstrates your commitment to doing a good job.
On the other hand, if every paragraph is in a different font style or size, it’ll make your cover letter look unprofessional.
While formatting a cover letter for nursing roles, use a clear and professional font (such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri) with a font size of 10–12 points, and set your page layout to 2.5 cm margins.
Also, be strategic with your use of white space in your nursing cover letter. A large block of text can make it difficult for recruiters to get a quick overview of your qualifications, particularly if they have dozens of applications to check. So try dividing your cover letter into opening, body, and closing paragraphs, and separate them with spaces to make it easier to read.
Finally, proofread your nursing cover letter to ensure there are no errors. Use your word processor’s spelling and grammar check, and read it out loud to spot any mistakes you might’ve missed.
2. Showcase your nursing skills
Depending on the kind of nursing position they’re advertising for, recruiters will look for specific skills on your CV.
Check the job description thoroughly so you’re clear on what skills your target employer needs for this particular nursing role. Then, use your nursing cover letter to showcase the skills you’ve got that match the job ad and catch the recruiter’s attention.
Hard skills (also called technical skills) are gained through nursing school or on the job. These abilities are what you use to treat patients and save lives.
For example, a senior theatre nurse role will depend on hard skills you’ve picked up working in the operating theatre.
Here’s a list of hard skills to highlight on your cover letter for a nursing job:
- First aid, triage, and treating injuries
- History-taking
- Checking vital signs
- Administering drugs and immunisations
- Minor medical procedures
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Keeping detailed medical reports
- Customising help and medical care to patients
- Staying up-to-date on technical knowledge in the nursing field
But as all employers know, your bedside manner is just as important as your knowledge. Soft skills are important for interacting with patients so you can gain a better understanding of what’s happened and earn your patient’s trust.
Interpersonal skills are also vital when you’re explaining what medical procedures entail and receiving informed consent to proceed.
Here are some nursing soft skills to showcase on your cover letter:
- Communication skills
- Active listening
- Social perceptiveness
- Working with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities
- Organisation
- Coordination
- Time management
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thinking skills
3. Use powerful action verbs in your nurse cover letter
Unfortunately, demonstrating your experience by explaining what you were ‘in charge of’ or ‘responsible for’ can work against you. Nursing employers typically have a fair idea of what a nurse does, so listing those tasks doesn’t give them much new information.
Instead, use action verbs for your CV to convey more of your personality and initiative to the reader. Action verbs help:
- describe how you did the job or what you achieved, rather than just your to-do list
- add depth and value to the sentences on your cover letter
- portray you as a leader in your field
Here are two sections of a nursing cover letter, with the first statement describing an applicant’s duties in a passive way:
By contrast, look at how effective action verbs (highlighted in bold) can transform the way the applicant presents their experience:
Because your cover letter is only one page, you won’t have space to describe all of your nursing experience in the letter. So ensure you highlight the aspects of your work that closely relate to the role you’re applying for to show the recruiter how you’d work within their team.
