Clinical instructor letter of rec

[XelaRN]

Hi everyone! I'm getting ready to apply to a new grad residency program and had a quick question. The application checklist states that two letters of recommendation are required and that they need to be from my last two clinical instructors. My capstone clinical "instructor" was a BSN preceptor at a major hospital (not the one I'm currently applying to) that I am hoping to also apply to when their new grad residency program opens in several months. My community clinical instructor was a lady that I saw for maybe a total of 2 hours during my 8 week clinical at a retirement facility and who probably wouldn't even remember me. I would rather save the recommendation letter from my preceptor for when I am applying to the hospital she works at, and my community instructor doesn't really seem like she could provide a strong letter of rec. So what am I supposed to do? I have a great relationship with my OB clinical instructor and my Critical Care didactic professor. Will letters from those two individuals be seen as me ignoring the application instructions?

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

I would use a Med/surg instructor or Critical Care instructor, since it is a residency program and they want to know how well you performed in med/surg and critical care plus your capstone letter. Make copies of all letters and submit the copies. Hospitals do not expect you to have an instructor write an original letter for every single application that you send out. Can you imagine if you send out 100 applications and the instructors need to write a letter for each job, then multiply that by 50-100 students. That instructor would be writing letters 8 hrs/ day for weeks.

[XelaRN]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond! The application states that it wants letters from the two most recent clinical instructors, so I just wasn't sure how strict recruiters might be on that issue. I also wasn't sure if I even want to ask my capstone preceptor since she is a nurse at a different hospital that I plan on applying to in just a few months. I'm not sure if it would be weird to ask her for a letter of recommendation to a different hospital system when she already knows that I plan on applying to her hospital as soon as their residency program begins. I will definitely be asking my critical care instructor for one though. I'm just not sure why this residency program specifies that the letters of rec should come for. The two most recent clinical instructors. : /

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

They don't want one from your first clinical, because obviously (hopefully) you have improved in your skills since then. I would go with the most relevant instructors for the residency. Capstone instructor will not have any issues with you asking about a letter that will be submitted to a different hospital. She realizes that you will be sending out multiple applications for different hospitals. It is hard for new grads to get a job. She can't expect you to only apply to her hospital. More than likely her letter will be addressed "Dear hiring manager" so that you can use the same letter for different applications. I graduated in August and have applied to about 30-40 jobs in the last month with only 2 phone interviews.