Do LPNs need a cover letter?

Many facilities ask for one, especially for charge roles. It shows how you lead aides and handle families, which a resume cannot.

Should I mention a state survey in my cover letter?

Yes, if your unit had good results. Directors of nursing care about surveys more than almost anything else.

How do I write the letter when moving from home health to a facility?

Present home health as independence and judgement, then show you can manage a full unit's workload and supervise assistants.

Licensed Practical Nurse cover letter example

LPN cover letter example for a charge nurse: opening on skin care and survey readiness, proof from fewer pressure injuries, and a unit tour close.

Resume for this role

Angela Russo

Licensed Practical Nurse, Charge Nurse | Long-Term Care, Rehab and Home Health

Pittsburgh, PA

October 30, 2026

Teresa KowalczykDirector of NursingAllegheny Pines Rehabilitation CenterPittsburgh, PA

Re: LPN Charge Nurse, day shift

Dear Ms. Kowalczyk,

I was glad to see an opening for an LPN Charge Nurse at Allegheny Pines Rehabilitation Center. I have been a charge nurse in long-term care for six years, and I believe my focus on skin care and survey readiness would suit your team well.

At Three Rivers Senior Living I lead a 30-resident unit on day shift with four to five nursing assistants. When I took over, we had six facility-acquired pressure injuries in a year. I set up a turning and skin-check schedule, trained the aides to document it at every round and reviewed it with them weekly. The next year we had one. I also pass medications for the full unit and have had no reportable errors in two years.

Your posting mentions an upcoming state survey. My unit has been through two surveys since 2023 with no deficiencies cited, mostly because our charting in PointClickCare is complete every shift and I admit 8 to 10 residents a month with assessments and care plans done the same day.

Before long-term care I spent three years in home health with a caseload of about 35 patients, many with heart failure and COPD. It taught me to work independently, to spot a change in condition early and to talk with families who are worried or overwhelmed. I started my career in short-term rehab at Ridgeview, so your rehab residents are familiar to me.

I bring 12 years as an LPN, current Pennsylvania licensure and IV therapy certification. I would welcome the chance to meet you and tour the unit.

Sincerely,

Angela Russo

Fictional candidates and employers. Any resemblance to a real person or company is coincidental.

Now for your own experience and a real posting

Jobiko writes a cover letter from what you have actually done, for the posting you choose, and shows it to you before anything is sent.

Write my cover letter →

How this letter works

What each part of the letter above does, and how to do the same in yours.

The opening

It states the role and the experience in one line, then names two strengths a director of nursing worries about most: skin integrity and surveys. Clinical leaders read for safety first.

Whom to address

Write to the director of nursing or the assistant director who hires for the unit; the facility's front desk will give you the name. Nursing letters to a named DON are noticed in facilities that receive many generic applications.

Requirements matched to proof

The posting asks forLead a unit as charge nurse: The letter shows30 residents on day shift with four to five nursing assistants.
The posting asks forPrevent pressure injuries: The letter showsA turning and skin-check schedule; injuries from six a year to one.
The posting asks forSurvey readiness and accurate charting: The letter showsTwo state surveys with no deficiencies on the unit; zero reportable medication errors in two years.

Length

Five paragraphs inside the usual 250 to 400 words. A director of nursing reads between rounds, so clinical outcomes come before background.

This letter: 260 words.

The closing

Asking to meet and tour the unit shows interest in the residents and the team, and it is a natural next step in long-term care hiring.

Mistakes to avoid in this letter

Listing every skill
Med passes and vital signs are expected. Show an outcome you improved, such as pressure injuries or survey results.
Leaving out licensure
Name your state license and any IV certification once. Facilities must verify both.
Ignoring the setting
Long-term care, rehab and home health differ. Say which you know and why it fits their residents.

Questions about this cover letter

Do LPNs need a cover letter?: Many facilities ask for one, especially for charge roles. It shows how you lead aides and handle families, which a resume cannot.
Should I mention a state survey in my cover letter?: Yes, if your unit had good results. Directors of nursing care about surveys more than almost anything else.
How do I write the letter when moving from home health to a facility?: Present home health as independence and judgement, then show you can manage a full unit's workload and supervise assistants.

More examples

← All cover letter examples