The role of a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) entails more than assisting with medical procedures and supporting healthcare colleagues. They are an essential point of contact between patients and medical professionals, in a position to notice all those critical signs that overworked doctors may miss.
While an LVN resume can only focus on the practical side of their medical experience, the LVN cover letter can cover their more human side. They don’t go to work because they love taking blood samples—they work long hours because they love helping people. These people skills can only be conveyed within the free-flowing format of a cover letter.
LVN cover letter example
Dear Mr. Brown,
I am writing to express my strong interest in the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) position at Kaiser Permanente. As a passionate and dedicated healthcare professional with a Licensed Vocational Nurse certification from the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, I am confident in my ability to provide exceptional patient care and contribute to Kaiser Permanente's mission of improving the health of the communities it serves.
Throughout my nursing career, I have gained valuable experience working in various healthcare settings, including skilled nursing facilities and outpatient clinics. Most recently, I had the privilege of working as an LVN at Sutter Health, where I provided direct patient care, administered medications, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized care plans. This experience has strengthened my clinical skills, communication abilities, and dedication to patient-centered care.
I am particularly drawn to Kaiser Permanente's reputation for excellence in patient care and its commitment to innovation and teamwork. I admire Kaiser Permanente's integrated healthcare model, which emphasizes preventive care, patient education, and care coordination across specialties. I am excited about the opportunity to join a team of skilled healthcare professionals who share my passion for making a positive difference in patients' lives.
I am confident that my nursing skills, compassion, and commitment to patient care make me a strong candidate for the LVN position at Kaiser Permanente. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience to your team and to grow as a healthcare professional in a supportive and dynamic environment.
Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further how my qualifications align with the needs of Kaiser Permanente and how I can contribute to the delivery of high-quality patient care. I look forward to the possibility of joining your team and making a positive impact on the lives of the patients we serve.
Sincerely,
Shelly Stone
Sections of an LVN cover letter
Licensed vocational nurses understand the importance of structuring their work. They have so many priorities at any one time that great organizational skills are core to what they do. In the same way, they should seek to organize their career story into a format that works for their unique story. There is no special sauce here—hiring managers expect to see a standard cover letter structure. What matters are the stories that you tell in the various sections.
Here is a suggested structure for an LVN cover letter:
- Cover letter header. The header of the cover letter should contain your full name, email, and mobile number. You never know when they might wish to get in touch.
- Greeting. Look up the name of the hiring manager and be sure that you get their medical title right. This shows critical attention to detail and an understanding that the little things matter when dealing with others.
- Introduction. Before you sit down to write the cover letter, research the nature of the role. Only then can you write an introduction that will cover how your experience meets the precise demands of the job. Many LVN candidates will write a generic cover letter. Hit the hiring manager with the biggest value you can add.
- Body. The body of the LVN cover letter should not be for the faint-hearted. Talk about your most impactful patient experiences. Explain how you went above and beyond where others may have shrunk into the shadows. Much lies behind your basic job description. This is what you should be discussing in the body of the LVN cover letter. Start the fascinating conversations that you wish to continue during an interview.
- Conclusion. End with one final patient care story. Then turn the tables and let your potential future boss know that you would love to meet for an interview to find out more. This needs to be a match that will work for both of you, after all. If you are passionate about the opportunity, they will look forward to meeting you.
- Signature. End with a suitably professional sign-off such as “yours sincerely.” Include an e-signature if you are sending your cover letter as a PDF (you should be).
Every section of your cover letter can include different aspects of your personality, motivations and experiences. Mix it up a bit. You have done a lot in your career, after all. Variety is key. Demonstrate that you can handle anything that comes your way.
A one-page cover letter is standard for any profession. You will surely have plenty of stories that you wish to tell during your interview, so keep the intros to your career highlights brief. The hiring manager will understand the lack of detail.
Need more inspiration? View our other related medical cover letter examples:
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You will still likely have plenty of smaller questions about how to write a cover letter. What font should you use for example? Read our article on how to write a cover letter for a whole host of general information.
Getting back to the LVN cover letter, after creating the header and addressing the hiring manager, it is time to write that first critical introductory paragraph. How will you begin to tell your nursing story?
Introduction of an LVN cover letter
How you start a cover letter will dictate whether the hiring manager reads any further. If your initial story is not relevant to the role that you will be doing, that is unlikely.
Take care to write your LVN cover letter introduction in a way that is different from your resume. Hiring managers are looking for personality and motivation. They want to read how you go about your work rather than just what you do. Many applicants parrot the responsibilities of the role in their cover letters. This should be written from the heart, not a carbon copy of the job description.
Dear Dr Donovan,
I am writing to express my enthusiasm for the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) position at Oaktree Health. With over three years of hands-on experience in providing compassionate and efficient patient care, coupled with a strong foundation in medical procedures and patient management, I am eager to bring my skills to your team. I was the top LVN in our team of eight for positive patient feedback—that is my core metric at work.
Hi,
I have been helping out in a hospital for a while. I like the night shifts because it allows me to do whatever I want in the daytime. I enjoy chatting with the patients and think that they enjoy my stories of when I worked in the music industry. Some people think that being an LVN is a little boring, but I am fine with that.
If you are not passionate about the role, you will not get that interview invite.
Dear Mr. Brown,
I am writing to express my strong interest in the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) position at Kaiser Permanente. As a passionate and dedicated healthcare professional with a Licensed Vocational Nurse certification from the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, I am confident in my ability to provide exceptional patient care and contribute to Kaiser Permanente's mission of improving the health of the communities it serves.
LVN cover letter body
The challenge in writing a cover letter body will be which stories to focus on. Here you must put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager. Read between the lines of the job description. What problems will you help them solve?
- Don’t just duplicate the content from your resume.
- Focus on your personality, motivations, and how you do your job.
- Be hyper-specific about the fit with the role in question.
First body paragraph: your suitability for the role (skills & experience)
Consider the culture of your future employer and the nature of the work that you will be doing.
- Put patients at the heart of the cover letter. Share how you go about your work and what motivates you about working with people.
- Emphasize your technical skills. The medical staff around you need to have absolute confidence in your ability to work the technology.
- Tell the stories that make you stand out. Show that you are able to handle the most extreme situations with poise and sound judgement.
Visit the hospital or medical facility if you get the chance. Sit in the waiting rooms and observe the atmosphere. See how the staff interact with their patients. You will soon get a feel whether it is the place for you. Don’t stay long and don’t bother staff. This reconnaissance mission should be undercover, but it will impress a hiring manager.
Second body paragraph(s): commitment to the cause
Working in a busy hospital or clinic can be incredibly stressful. An LVN cover letter should convey a sense of purpose and passion. In other words, tell them why you go to work every day. Any LVN goes into the profession for far more than the salary, that is for sure. Let the hiring manager know that they will be hiring a like-minded soul.
Throughout my nursing career, I have gained valuable experience working in various healthcare settings, including skilled nursing facilities and outpatient clinics. Most recently, I had the privilege of working as an LVN at Sutter Health, where I provided direct patient care, administered medications, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized care plans. This experience has strengthened my clinical skills, communication abilities, and dedication to patient-centered care.
I am particularly drawn to Kaiser Permanente's reputation for excellence in patient care and its commitment to innovation and teamwork. I admire Kaiser Permanente's integrated healthcare model, which emphasizes preventive care, patient education, and care coordination across specialties. I am excited about the opportunity to join a team of skilled healthcare professionals who share my passion for making a positive difference in patients' lives.
I am confident that my nursing skills, compassion, and commitment to patient care make me a strong candidate for the LVN position at Kaiser Permanente. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience to your team and to grow as a healthcare professional in a supportive and dynamic environment.
Call to action & conclusion: finish off strong
Sum up your cover letter with a call to action. You will likely have plenty of questions about the job, so end by saying that you are looking forward to finding out more during an interview.
Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further how my qualifications align with the needs of Kaiser Permanente and how I can contribute to the delivery of high-quality patient care. I look forward to the possibility of joining your team and making a positive impact on the lives of the patients we serve.
Sincerely,
Shelly Stone
End by signing off with your name. The cover letter is a formal document, so your full name after “yours sincerely” will be fine.
Key takeaways
An LVN cover letter should cover some of your relevant skills, but your patient-centric approach and personal motivations are the most important aspects of your application to convey. Whatever you write will form the basis for a warm and successful interview.
Try our cover letter builder to choose a look and feel for your cover letter. Hopefully, you will find one that works for you.
