Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Cover Letter

Submitting a well-written CNA cover letter is as much an essential part of your job application as your CNA resume.

This is because writing a cover letter gives hospital hiring managers insight into how your experience matches the nursing assistant role they’re advertising.

Nervous about writing a nursing cover letter? Don’t be. Our video about nursing cover letters breaks down all the essential qualifications and skills that healthcare employers look for in their ideal applicant:

To ensure you submit the best nursing assistant cover letter possible, here are four professional writing tips and a template that’ll help you land an interview at the hospital of your choice.

1. Correctly format your CNA cover letter

You’ll need to know how to format your cover letter correctly if you want to display your nursing experience and qualifications clearly to the hiring manager.

Every CNA cover letter needs to include the following six sections:

CNA cover letter template

Here’s a template breaking down how to write a CNA cover letter and what information to include in each paragraph:

2. Start your CNA cover letter with a great introduction

Before you get into the body of your CNA cover letter, you’ll need to start with an introduction that includes:

• The nursing role you’re applying for
• Hospital/company name
• Your intentions for applying
• Any notable career achievements you’ve made

Even if you’re an entry-level nursing assistant with little to no experience, you should still start your resume with a quick introduction. However, instead of displaying a career achievement, expand upon your education or why you’ve chosen this career.

“Why do you want to become a CNA?” is a common CNA interview question. By addressing this topic in your cover letter, you demonstrate your passion for the job.

Here’s an example of a CNA cover letter introduction for a candidate with no experience:

I’m writing to you today to apply for the Certified Nursing Assistant position at Harris Memorial Hospital. I’m a recent graduate and a dedicated, hard-working nursing assistant, continually striving to provide patients with a high level of care. I’m excited by the prospect of working for a commendable, high-ranking establishment such as Harris Memorial Hospital, and I believe that my health care education, experience, and certifications make me the ideal candidate for this role.

Additionally, here’s an example of a CNA cover letter introduction for a candidate with experience:

I’m writing to you today to apply for the Certified Nursing Assistant role at Harris Memorial Hospital. I’ve worked in hospitals and senior homes for 6+ years, and have attended to over 500 patients thus far. I have also continually been commended by my colleagues and supervisors for the high level of care and emotional comfort I provide to patients. I believe my health care certifications and considerable experience make me the ideal candidate for this role.

3. Highlight your compassionate personality traits

Nursing is a job that involves delivering a high level of personal care, for which you’ll need a great deal of nursing soft skills. But, unlike writing a resume, you can’t just list your skills on your CNA cover letter.

One way to reassure hiring managers that you have the necessary soft skills and personality to excel at nursing is to highlight examples of how your interpersonal skills helped you while on the job.

Here’s an example of how to highlight your nursing soft skills and personality traits on your CNA cover letter:

Show that you’re aware of this, and your application will immediately be viewed in a better light.

4. End with a call to action

Lastly, you’ll need to end your cover letter by writing a call to action in your final paragraph.

A call to action is a prompt to the hiring manager to invite you for an interview to further discuss your talents and how they make you an ideal candidate. It shouldn’t be too pushy, but it should definitely have conviction.

For example, you can begin by thanking the hiring manager for their time, and then saying that you’d love to have an interview. Then, state that you’re looking forward to hearing back from them.

Remember, there’s no need to leave your email address or phone number in your final paragraph, as they should be at the top of your CNA cover letter in your contact details.

Here’s an example of a call to action on a CNA cover letter: