Addressing a cover letter

[strivin4it]

Hi! So, I am trying to polish my resume and cover letter, and I'm wondering to whom should I address my cover letter? Should it be the nurse recruiter or the nurse manager of the unit I would be applying for? Thanks.

[nakeia]

When submitting an application online, its going straight to the nurse recruiter. So, I would have to say nurse recruiter. They are the ones that screen all of the applications for positions and set interviews up with the managers. If you know who the manager is and their email address, I dont think it would hurt to send your cover letter and resume to them and have that specific cover letter address them.... shows initiative. Hope this helps!

[Journey_On, BSN, RN]

What if you do not know the nurse recruiter's name & contact information at the hospital you are applying to? How should one address a cover letter in this situation?

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

I always just put "Nurse Recruitment"

i havent had any negative feedback so far yet. and ive had it reviewed by my professors too. they say its fine.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I would recommend mailing it to "Nurse Recruiter." I would then use one of the correct business salutations for the letter itself, such as:

Dear Sir or Madam:

To Whom it May Concern:

etc.

Personally, I usually use "Dear Sir or Madam" as it seems a little less sterile that the alternatives.

If you don't know these things, you might find it helpful to buy a book on etiquette. There was one published recently just for nurses. I think it was published by Sigma Theta Tau. Knowing how to handle yourself at business functions, write thank-you notes, etc. can help your career. It can certainly hurt your career to NOT know the proper social niceties by making you stand out in negative ways.