Embarking on the journey to secure a travel nursing position, you may find yourself halted by the common roadblock of crafting a compelling cover letter. While your resume reflects your qualifications, your cover letter is a chance to spotlight your proudest professional triumph, weaving it into a narrative that captures your unique contribution to healthcare. Striking a balance between formality and originality—without resorting to clichés—is key. Here's how to distill your experiences into a succinct, one-page narrative that stands out.
- Step your best foot forward in the travel nurse cover letter introduction;
- Be inspired by other professionals' certified cover letters;
- Structure your travel nurse cover letter to feature what matters most;
- Close off your travel nurse cover letter to make a memorable impression on recruiters.
But where to start writing? Upload your resume into Enhancv's AI, which will prepare your travel nurse cover letter (all you need to do is personalize it, and you'll be good to go).
If the travel nurse isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Travel Nurse cover letter example
JASMINE BELL
Las Vegas, NV
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Highlighting relevant experience: The cover letter emphasizes the candidate's background in designing patient-centric strategies and developing educational programs for staff, showcasing the ability to enhance patient care and support staff development.
- Demonstrating achievement and impact: By mentioning the creation of over 50 patient care strategies and the leading of competency courses for pediatric staff members, the applicant provides concrete examples of contributions to healthcare services and education, showing results-oriented accomplishments.
- Focus on specialization: The mention of specific experience managing care for children with autoimmune diseases aligns with the specialized needs of the healthcare facility, demonstrating the candidate’s expertise in a critical area of care.
- Offer to discuss further: The cover letter concludes with an invitation to interview, showing the applicant's eagerness to engage in more in-depth discussions about how they can support the healthcare team’s objectives.
Standard formatting for your travel nurse cover letter
Structure your travel nurse cover letter, following industry-leading advice, to include:
- Header - with your name, the role you're applying for, the date, and contact details;
- Greeting - make sure it's personalized to the organization;
- Introduction paragraph - no more than two sentences;
- Body paragraph - answering why you're the best candidate for the role;
- Closing paragraph - ending with a promise or a call to action;
- Signature - now that's optional.
Set up your travel nurse cover letter for success with our templates that are all single-spaced and have a one-inch margin all around.
Use the same font for your travel nurse cover as the one in your resume(remember to select a modern, Applicant Tracker System or ATS favorites, like Raleway, Volkhov, or Chivo instead of the worn-out Times New Roman).
Speaking of the ATS, did you know that it doesn't scan or assess your cover letter? This document is solely for the recruiters.
Our builder allows you to export your travel nurse cover letter in the best format out there: that is, PDF (this format keeps your information intact).
The top sections on a travel nurse cover letter
- Header: This section includes your contact information, the date, and the employer’s details, which is essential for the recruiter to know who you are and how to reach you for potential job opportunities in travel nursing.
- Greeting: A personalized greeting addresses the specific recruiter or hiring manager by name, showing you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in joining their healthcare team.
- Introduction: In this section, you briefly state your intention to apply for the travel nursing position and mention how your experience aligns with the requirements of the role, capturing the recruiter's interest.
- Professional Highlights: This is where you detail your nursing experience, specialty areas, and any unique skills or certifications that make you particularly suited for travel nursing, emphasizing your adaptability and quick learning abilities.
- Closing and Call to Action: Conclude with a strong closing statement that reiterates your enthusiasm for the travel nursing role and invites the recruiter to contact you, demonstrating your proactive approach and readiness for new assignments.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Clinical versatility and adaptability: Recruiters look for nurses who can quickly adapt to different clinical settings and patient populations, as travel nurses must seamlessly transition between various healthcare environments.
- Strong professional references: Since travel nurses frequently change locations and teams, having strong recommendations attests to their reliability and quality of work, which is crucial in short-term assignments.
- Diverse specialty experience: Recruiters value travel nurses who have experience in multiple specialties, as this expands the range of assignments they can effectively take on, making them valuable assets to different facilities.
- Excellent communication skills: The ability to communicate effectively with new teams, patients, and colleagues in diverse settings is critical for ensuring continuity of care and successful integration into new clinical environments.
- Current certifications and licenses: Maintaining up-to-date professional credentials indicates a commitment to adhering to industry standards and assures healthcare organizations of the nurse's qualifications.
- Proven ability to work autonomously: Given the transient nature of their work, travel nurses need to demonstrate self-sufficiency and decision-making skills, as they will often be expected to perform their duties independently.
How to personalize your travel nurse cover letter greeting
Before you start writing your travel nurse cover letter, take the time to find out who is recruiting for the role.
Search for the recruiter's name on LinkedIn or the corporate website to address them personally in your travel nurse cover letter salutation.
What if you can't find out who's recruiting for the role?
Always aim to avoid the very impersonal "Dear Sir/Madam" - instead, opt out for "Dear HR Team" or "Dear Hiring Manager" to make a better first impression.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Hospital/Facility Name] Team,
- Dear [Specific Department] Director,
- Dear [Specific Department] Hiring Committee,
- Dear [Last Name of the Contact Person],
- Dear Dr. [Last Name of the Contact Person],
The travel nurse cover letter introduction: focusing on your unique value, with a creative twist
You are not the only one wondering how to start your travel nurse cover letter. Those first two sentences introduce your profile and should be memorable.
No pressure.
When beginning your travel nurse cover letter, immediately point out the unique value of working with you. In other words, what you promise to bring to the role by using your past track record of success.
Start your travel nurse cover letter with a creative twist by telling a joke or stating something relatable. Select this type of introduction only if it aligns with the company culture.
What to write in the body of your travel nurse cover letter
Now that you've got your intro covered, here comes the heart and soul of your travel nurse cover letter.
It's time to write the middle or body paragraphs. This is the space where you talk about your relevant talent in terms of hard skills (or technologies) and soft (or people and communication) skills.
Keep in mind that the cover letter has a different purpose from your travel nurse resume.
Yes, you still have to be able to show recruiters what makes your experience unique (and applicable) to the role.
But, instead of just listing skills, aim to tell a story of your one, greatest accomplishment.
Select your achievement that:
- covers job-crucial skills;
- can be measured with tangible metrics;
- shows you in the best light.
Use the next three to six paragraphs to detail what this success has taught you, and also to sell your profile.
Closing remarks to end your travel nurse cover letter
Of course, you'll have to show gratitude to the recruiters, who have assessed your profile at the end of your travel nurse cover letter .
A "Thank you for the consideration" would work wonders, instead of the standard "Sincerely yours".
Do you want to make an even better impression?
Close off your travel nurse cover letter by promising how you see yourself excelling in the role and the positive impact you'd bring about.
A sentence that encourages some further action on the recruiter's end could also be a good way to close off the communication (e.g. provide your availability for an interview).
Lacking experience: here's how to write your travel nurse cover letter
As a candidate with no experience, it's important to be honest from the get-go of your application.
Use your travel nurse cover letter to sell your unique talents. Choose an accomplishment from your academic background or your volunteer work to show the skills that are relevant to the role.
Focus on your career objectives and how you see the job to align with them. Be specific and, at the same time, realistic about where you picture yourself in five years.
Key takeaways
Writing your travel nurse cover letter doesn't need to turn into an endless quest, but instead:
- Create an individual travel nurse cover letter for each role you apply to, based on job criteria (use our builder to transform your resume into a cover letter, which you could edit to match the job);
- Stick with the same font you've used in your resume (e.g. Raleway) and ensure your travel nurse cover letter is single-spaced and has a one-inch margin all around;
- Introduce your enthusiasm for the role or the company at the beginning of your travel nurse cover letter to make a good first impression;
- Align what matters most to the company by selecting just one achievement from your experience, that has taught you valuable skills and knowledge for the job;
- End your travel nurse cover letter like any good story - with a promise for greatness or follow-up for an interview.
