Bruin Brief 2022-05-06: Writing letters of reference

Writing Letters of Reference for Graduating Students

“The greatest success we’ll know is helping others succeed and grow.” -Gregory Scott Reid

Graduation is right around the corner!

Beautiful spring time is here and that means that our class of 2022 students are soon to be class of 2022 graduates! They will be embarking on the next leg of their student nursing career by applying for jobs. And they will need our help. Each request for a recommendation is a sign of respect, and a source of joy. It is your chance to mold a competent, safe, and passionate Bruin nurse by writing an honest reference.

Here are some guidelines to help you write an effective letter of recommendation when requested by a student.

Start with letterhead from the Communications Toolkit created by @Hilf, Aaron M., the Director of Communications for the School of Nursing. The Toolkit contains a suite of resources and a variety of templates and tools, including high-resolution School of Nursing logos, letterhead, SON-specific PowerPoint & flyer templates, standardized email signature, and more. Please be sure to save this link to your web browser and/or Box favorites, as new material will be added periodically. The link is also available on the School of Nursing Intranet website.
Get source material from the student. I ask the student to send a current resume. I also ask the student to collect a packet of their course assignments, papers, and care plans from the class I taught, because it helps refresh my memory and give me specific examples of excellence. It saves me time for this packet to be on my desktop, instead of searching through my CCLE files.
Use a template to structure your letter. A standard format gives you room for creativity and personalization yet proceeds in an expected way for the reader.

To Whom it May Concern,

Paragraph 1: Who you are, how you know the student, what course you taught that helped you get to know the student, and how long you have known the student

Paragraph 2: Describe example 1 of how student demonstrated and excelled at a competency related to an important nursing function ie: critical thinking, safety, etc.

Paragraph 3: Describe example 2 of how student demonstrated and excelled at a competency related to an important nursing function ie: team work, leadership, etc.

Paragraph 4: Student personal qualities and extracurricular or work-related activities that support the student’s ability to perform well as a nurse ie: friendly, approachable, working as a CNA while in school, participated in research or volunteered in the community, student clubs, etc.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion and wrap up; other personal details of the student that make him/her a good fit for the position they are seeking ie: student is fluent in another language, student has past experience in other occupation/field that could be beneficial in nursing.

Overall, I see him/her doing very well in any unit he/she aspires to work on. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for further support of accepting [student name] in to your Nurse Residency Program/Medical Center.

Sincerely,

[Faculty Name, credentials]

[Email and/or phone contact information]

4. Write a strong, summative conclusion

5. Apply your digital signature

6. Wrap it up: PDF the letter when complete, submit a copy and save a copy

What if it’s complicated?

Honesty and diplomacy matter. A professional letter of reference is not necessarily a letter of positive recommendation. And it’s not a character reference, either. It’s an assessment of the individual’s strengths as a graduating nurse, and your assessment of the individual’s potential contributions to a particular nursing unit or setting.

When a student asks if I can write a strong and positive letter, I answer honestly. I will say that I can write about their strengths, as I saw them demonstrated, as well as their challenges. For some students, I let them know it will be a mixed review, and I will balance what I write. In the most challenging situations, if I agree to write a letter I will do so to alert the employer to some expected difficulties and anticipated needs of the student in the workplace. Of course, any professor can also decline to write a letter and explain why.

Reminiscing

If we take a moment to think back to our own graduation and first nursing job, it’s a time of relief, anxiety, eagerness, satisfaction, and anticipation. We may fondly remember those days, and realize that many helping hands helped launch our careers. Through reminiscence, we can relate to our students and their emotions during this transition from student to licensed RN. Yes it was stressful. Yes it was scary, and yes it was also so rewarding.

This article eloquently summarizes the reasons why the nursing profession is so amazing and the endless opportunities that await our graduates.

**Cue 8 clap** ❤ UCLA FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! ❤

Brenda Yeung MSN, OCN, CMSRN, CBCN
Project Policy Analyst
Office of Academic Affairs
nursing.ucla.edu