Short version: A strong CNA cover letter (BLS 31-1131) does three things in four short paragraphs — opens with a specific unit or facility you want to work on, names your typical patient load and one measurable outcome (fall prevention, CAUTI/CLABSI participation, restraint reduction, HCAHPS lift), and closes with concrete shift availability. Keep it under 350 words on one page, address it to the nurse manager or unit director by name where you can, and mirror the language of the posting exactly. Below is a full example, a fill-in-the-blank framework, common pitfalls, and an FAQ.
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What a CNA cover letter actually does
A CNA cover letter is short by design. Nurse managers screen dozens per posting, and the ones that get callbacks share the same three qualities: they name the unit and shift with specificity, they show a concrete patient-load or outcome number, and they close with the two logistical pieces every unit director needs to see — start date and shift availability. Anything longer than one page or vaguer than that is filtered before the résumé is even opened.
The four-paragraph structure
Opening — name the unit
One or two sentences. Address the nurse manager or unit director by name where the posting or facility website makes it available. Name the specific unit, shift, and facility. "I'm applying for the night-shift CNA position on 4 South at Mercy Medical Center — the med-surg unit your posting listed on the ANA job board on July 2."
Match — one specific fit
Three or four sentences. Tie your background to what the posting asks for. Name the patient load you have carried, the EHR you use, and one or two clinical strengths that match the unit (post-op mobility, dementia care, high-acuity vitals, telemetry monitoring, discharge prep, restraint reduction).
Proof — one measurable result
Two or three sentences. Nurse managers hire on outcomes even for CNA roles. One concrete number wins the loop: a zero-fall stretch, a CAUTI/CLABSI-prevention rounding participation, a documented HCAHPS lift on your unit, a preceptor role, or a specific patient story that shows judgment.
Close — shift + start date + ask
Two sentences. Name your available shifts (nights, evenings, weekends, holidays), your earliest start date, and ask for a specific next step. "I'm available for a phone screen this week and can start August 4. Would Friday morning work for a brief conversation about the 4 South opening?"
Full CNA cover letter example
Aaliyah Bennett, CNA
Chicago, IL · aaliyah.bennett@email.com · (312) 555-0143 · Certified Nurse Aide (IL) · Basic Life Support (BLS)
July 6, 2026
Nurse Manager Tanya Wilkins, RN
4 South — Med-Surg / Telemetry
Mercy Medical Center
2525 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
Dear Ms. Wilkins,
I'm writing to apply for the night-shift Certified Nursing Assistant position on 4 South at Mercy Medical Center that you posted on the Illinois Health Careers board on July 2. I've been a CNA on a 32-bed med-surg/telemetry unit at Northwestern Memorial for the last three years, and the unit rhythm you described in your posting sounds like the work I already do every night.
On my current unit I typically carry an 8–10 patient assignment on nights, chart in Epic (Rover on Zebra devices), and cover the full CNA scope — vitals, I&O, blood glucose checks, PO/PR intake, ambulation and turn-and-position schedules, telemetry monitoring, and post-op mobility on our fresh ortho and general-surgery admissions. I precept two new hires each quarter and sit on the unit's Falls Prevention committee.
Since I joined the committee 18 months ago our unit has held a fall-with-injury rate under the 0.4 per 1,000 patient-days system target for six consecutive quarters, and our HCAHPS "call-light responsiveness" score climbed from the 42nd to the 71st percentile — the direct result of a purposeful-rounding protocol I helped roll out with our charge RN. I've also worked closely with our WOC nurse on skin-integrity rounding, and I'm the CNA that our nurses pair with our high-acuity or agitated patients on nights.
I'm available for a phone screen this week, could start on August 4, and am fully available for a straight 7p–7a rotation with every-other-weekend and holiday coverage. Would Friday morning work for a brief conversation about the 4 South opening?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Aaliyah Bennett, CNA
Fill-in-the-blank framework
Copy this framework, replace the bracketed items, and read the letter out loud before you send it.
Dear [Nurse Manager Name],
I'm writing to apply for the [shift] Certified Nursing Assistant position on [unit] at [facility] that you posted on [source] on [date]. I've been a CNA on a [bed count]-bed [unit type] at [current facility] for the last [X] years, and the unit rhythm you described in your posting sounds like the work I already do.
On my current unit I typically carry an [X-Y] patient assignment on [shift], chart in [EHR], and cover the full CNA scope — [3-5 specific tasks that match the posting]. I [preceptor role / committee / specialty responsibility].
Since [when], our unit has [one specific outcome — fall rate, CAUTI, HCAHPS lift, restraint reduction], and I have [specific personal contribution]. I'm the CNA our nurses pair with [type of high-acuity or difficult patient].
I'm available for a phone screen this week, could start on [date], and am fully available for [shift + weekend/holiday coverage]. Would [specific day] work for a brief conversation about the [unit] opening?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Name], CNA
Common CNA cover-letter mistakes
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Build free →See how Marqee worksFrequently asked questions
Under one page — typically 250 to 350 words, four short paragraphs. Nurse managers filter out longer letters before they read the résumé. Every paragraph should carry a single job: name the unit and shift, match your background, prove one outcome, and close with shift availability and a start date.
For hospital and skilled-nursing facility postings, yes — the letter is often what unit directors read first. For staffing-agency and per-diem placements a résumé alone can be enough, but a two-paragraph note attached to your profile still meaningfully raises callback rates.
The nurse manager or unit director of the specific unit — not the HR generalist. Facility staff directories, the state nursing board's licensed-manager lookup, and LinkedIn all list unit directors. If you can't find a name, address it to 'Nurse Manager, [Unit Name].'
The unit, the shift, the facility, and where you saw the posting. Naming those four things in the first sentence proves you've read the posting and know what you're applying to.
Patient-load size, fall-prevention or CAUTI/CLABSI participation, restraint reduction, HCAHPS lift, purposeful-rounding roll-out, preceptor role, and any committee or safety-huddle participation. Any specific unit-level number that a nurse manager already tracks.
Lead with your CNA training program, clinical hours, the units you rotated through, and any personal-care experience — home health aide, caregiver, family member care, or hospice volunteering. Name your BLS/CPR status, the EHR your training used, and your shift and start-date availability.
Both. Upload a PDF into the ATS with the résumé, and paste the same letter (four short paragraphs) into the email body if the posting includes a nurse manager or recruiter email address. Never send the letter as a Word attachment — many facility systems strip Word attachments.