Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter Writing Guidelines with Examples & Templates

Despite the advance in technology, many hiring managers for nurse practitioner positions use cover letters as a way to decide whether or not you have the right skills for the job. It is therefore important to update or create a cover letter that will help you stand out from the crowd when applying for nurse practitioner roles. Find out for more tips below on how to write an outstanding cover letter to help you land your dream job as a nurse practitioner. 

Nurse practitioners are clinicians who are licensed and focusing on management of health conditions and disease prevention for patients. Their responsibilities vary depending on their experience, but can often include diagnosing and treating illnesses and providing health education to patients. 

nurse-practitioner-cover-letter
Parts of a Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter

Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter Examples

To help you visualize what a nurse practitioner cover letter should look like, here are cover letter examples for pediatric nurse practitioner role and entry level nurse practitioner. 

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter 

Kelvin White
24 Melrose Drive
Somerset, New Jersey, 07474
+1 555-740-8900
[email protected] 

July 25th, 2023

Dr. Sian Reeds                                                   
Director of Pediatrics Care
Saint Michael’s Medical Center
34 Mayfield Drive
Braintree, New Jersey, 07474

Dear Dr. Reeds,

I am excited to be applying for the role of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Saint Michael’s Medical Center. I have been working as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for the past four years and have both clinical and hospital experience. I am passionate and devoted towards working with children and their families and believe that I can make a significant contribution to your medical center.  

I have a proven track record of providing excellent care to pediatric patients. I was responsible for providing both primary and specialty care to patients between 0-18 years old, including performing physical exams, ordering and analyzing lab tests and prescribing medications. I am very familiar with treating patients with chronic conditions, ranging from ADHD, eating disorders to asthma, where I provided education to patients and their families on condition management and built strong relationships to provide comprehensive care. I am also comfortable with providing nutrition, exercise and emotional health counseling both in-person and online.

I am therefore confident that I have the skills required to join your team as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and contribute towards the excellent work of your medical center. I believe my commitment to provide high quality and patient-first care aligns with your organization and I am eager to join and begin working towards the same goal. 

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon! 

Yours sincerely,
Kelvin

Entry Level Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter 

Kelvin White
24 Melrose Drive
Somerset, New Jersey, 07474
+1 555-740-8900
[email protected] 

July 25th, 2023

Mr. David Chen                                                   
Head of Human Resources
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
34 Mayfield Drive
Braintree, New Jersey, 07474

Dear Mr. Chen, 

As a newly qualified Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), I would like to apply for the nurse practitioner vacancy at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. From the education and training I received during school, I believe I have acquired the theory and knowledge needed to fulfill the role of an entry-level nurse practitioner at your hospital.  

During my studies, I gained insight into various medical topic clusters, such as nutrition and hygiene, patient safety, pharmacology, electronic health record management and ambulatory care. I believe these would help me assist the registered nurse (RN) in evaluating patient symptoms and conditions, administering non-RN treatments and other duties around general patient care. 

I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss your hospital’s upcoming objectives and bottlenecks to see how I could potentially play a role in helping you achieve and tackle them. I believe my passion for care, desire for knowledge and enthusiasm to learn would make me the perfect candidate for the LPN role at your hospital. 

Yours sincerely,
Kelvin

How to Write a Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter

Address the hiring manager.

One of the mistakes nurse practitioner candidates usually make when writing a cover letter is not including a letterhead. You should make sure to include your name, contact information, location and links to relevant professional sites such as LinkedIn, website and blogs as part of the letterhead.

Most importantly, make sure to address the hiring manager by including the right title, name, and address of the practice or hospital you are applying for. This will show that you have paid attention to start your nurse practitioner cover letter correctly and leave a positive impression on your potential employer. 

Engage the reader with self-introduction and opening.

Next step in creating an eye-catching nurse practitioner cover letter is to write a memorable self-introduction and opening paragraph. You should include details such as your current position or education level, what relevant nurse practitioner experience you have and a short sentence that shows why your potential employer should consider you and continue reading your cover letter. An example for a new grad nurse practitioner cover letter would be: 

I was extremely excited to discover the role of Nurse Practitioner at Whitehall Hospital. I am a recent nursing graduate from Bangor University with over 2 years of clinical experience in surgical and critical care units, with certifications in both PALS and FNC-C. I am extremely passionate towards quality care and believe I can be of great asset to your team. 

📚 Further reading: How to Start a Cover Letter that Leaves a Strong Impression

Outline your skills and qualifications.

Another key tip when writing a nurse practitioner cover letter is to make sure you outline the skills and qualifications you possess. An example for a family nurse practitioner cover letter would be: 

In my previous role working as a RN, I honed my abilities in aseptic procedures, medication administration and infection control, which provided me with a firm foundation in working as a family nurse practitioner. I am also a keen advocate for building strong relationships and engaging communities, where I have a proven track record in managing patient assessment and community outreach opportunities. My compassionate, people-centric and communicative nature aided me in mastering these skills in a short time. I have also acquired the following certifications:

  • FNP-C
  • PALS 
  • CPR / AED
  • BCLS / ACLS 

📚 Further reading: 100+ Soft Skills to Put on Your Resume

End your nurse practitioner cover letter with an invitation.

As important as it is to begin your nurse practitioner cover letter with a strong introduction, to finish with an engaging ending is equally so. This is the part where it would be best to include an invitation. An example for a pediatric nurse practitioner cover letter would be: 

I have enclosed my resume below for a more comprehensive illustration of my career history and accomplishments as a pediatric nurse practitioner alongside this cover letter. I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss further about how I may be a valuable addition to your team. I can be available for an interview at your earliest convenience. 

Sign-off in a professional manner

Last but not least, make sure to always sign off your nurse practitioner cover letter in a professional manner. It is generally recommended to use salutations such as “Yours sincerely” if you are aware of the hiring manager’s name, or “Yours faithfully” if you do not, followed by your own name. 

📚 Further reading: How to End a Cover Letter & Cover Letter Closing Examples

Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter Writing Tips

Now that you have understood the steps needed to write a nurse practitioner cover letter, below are some more tips that will make sure your cover letter for nurse practitioner stands out. 

💡 Research the role thoroughly.

You should always aim to research the nurse practitioner role thoroughly before starting your cover letter writing. This will not only make sure that you truly understand the responsibilities required for the position but also help you craft a cover letter that showcases why you are the right nurse practitioner candidate for the vacancy.

💡 Customize the cover letter for each job.

Another key to make sure that you write an outstanding nurse practitioner cover letter is by customizing it for each position or organization you are applying for. You can often do this by looking at the job description on the nurse practitioner job advertisement and adopting those keywords mentioned into your cover letter. This is most likely to appear in sections detailing the specific skills, knowledge or attributes they are looking for. You can consider using them moderately, but should not copy entirely. 

Also, you may consider customizing your nurse practitioner cover letter by adding a personal tone. For instance, explain your motivation behind your desire to work as a nurse practitioner or how your values align with the particular hospital or medical practice you are applying for. By doing so, it can make your cover letter more persuasive and engaging to read. 

💡 Proofread, spelling and format check.

The final tip in making sure your nurse practitioner cover letter is as strong as it can be is to proofread, do spelling and format check. This is more particularly the case if you are applying for an entry-level nurse practitioner position in which your cover letter plays an important part. This is because you have less experience and will need to rely more on academic record, personal attributes and career motivation to convince the nurse practitioner hiring manager. A cover letter full of mistakes would definitely not leave a good impression.  

Nurse Practitioner Cover Letter Template

Now that you know all the steps needed to write a strong nurse practitioner cover letter, you should begin drafting and get ready to start applying for those vacancy spots. You can follow the cover letter template below for nurse practitioner roles as a kick off. 

[Full Name] 
[Phone Number] 
[Email] 
[LinkedIn / Website]

[Date] 

[Hiring Manager’s Name]
[Hiring Manager’s Job Title] 
[Company Name]
[Company Address] 

Dear [Hiring Manager/ Hiring Manager’s Name],  

I am very excited to discover the opening of the [job title] role at your [organization name]. I have qualifications in [list qualification] and strong [list skills] skills, which I believe would be a great match for this position. 

As the [current/ most recent job title/ most recent education] at [current/ most recent employer/ most recent school], I am responsible for [list main responsibilities]. Within my role, I [discuss major accomplishments as a nurse practitioner/ student ]

I am particularly inspired by [discuss a project or values] and I believe this aligns with those of my own. This is why I am [reasons you are excited about the job/ organization]. I look forward to bringing my expertise in [list skills/ experiences relevant to the position]

I have attached my resume below for your further consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me via [contact information]. I am available for a discussion or interview at your earliest convenience. 

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours Faithfully / Sincerely, 
[Name]

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— Originally written by Wayne Chang —

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