How do you ask doctors for a letter of recommendation?

[hamuway]

I am a floor nurse with BSN and looking to apply for msn program, which will starts accepting application in October 1st.

I wonder how you guys would ask doctors for letters of recommendation? The one I need would be three pages of fill-in-the-blank kind of letter of recommendation. I figure it might at least takes 30 mins to work on it. Doctors can either write or type. They are some doctors I am in good terms with, but I dont know how to approach them because they always look so busy.

My plan is to prepare self stamped envelope with my own address. Inside will have the hard copy of letter of recommendation if they choose to write or a USB flash with electronic copy of letter of recommendation if they choose to type. In this way, doctors can take it home and send it back to me later. Does this plan sounds reasonable? Is there anything I should look out for?

also, anyone has the experience of doctors turning your request down?

lastly, how do you thank the doctors who write the letter of recommendation for you? Will Sending thank you note sound odd if we see each other every week? Plus I might not even know their address. Do you guys send a little gift or anything?

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

For my program, I had 3 recommendations, only needed 2, but I wasn't sure if one was going to follow through. All were nurses: my director, a PMHNP, and a DNP. I only saw eval, as they all went directly to the school.

Not sure why you want to use an MD, unless you don't have access to APNs. But a simple thank you should suffice, unless you really want to give a gift, home cookies, etc.

[dandk1997RN, MSN, RN]

I don't know about the asking a doc thing as I didn't have to do that, but I sent email thank yous

to all three people who wrote my recommendations. One had a particularly difficult time because the computers at my hospital don't have upgraded software and she had to try for days and finally did it from home. This happened while I was on vacation and it was under a tight deadline, so I got her a little pouch with a couple nice hand soaps- just a small gift for her tenacity. Finally, when I found out I got in (yesterday) I sent them all another email thanking them for the role they played in helping me get accepted.

[elkpark]

Did the school specify who they want recommendations from? Typically, they want recommendations from individuals who can speak to your ability to do graduate level academic work, or from advanced practice nurses in the specialty you're going into who can address your potential for an advanced practice nursing role. I wouldn't submit a reference from a physician unless I just didn't have any other options.