Leaving your hospital job can feel like a dramatic scene from a movie with tearful goodbyes, hugs from your working colleagues, and a last round with your patients. The hospital was like your second home, where you survived 12-hour-long shifts, managed countless beeping monitors, and now it is time to pack your scrubs and leave. Leaving your hospital job is not easy, but before you leave, there is one thing you have to do, and that is to write a professional resignation letter. In this blog, we will give you step-by-step guide on how to write a professional resignation letter for nurses, mistakes to avoid, and tips to consider.
Why is it important to write a resignation letter for nurses?
Whether you are moving to a new hospital or pursuing your career as a travel nurse, saying goodbye to your old workplace can be emotionally challenging, but before you leave, an important step for nurses to take is to write a resignation letter because of the following reasons:
- Reflect your professionalism.
- It also provides a record of your departure for payroll purposes.
- A resignation letter helps nurses maintain a positive relationship with employers and colleagues.
- It also ensures a smooth transition for both your team and your patients.
What are the key components of a nursing resignation letter?
The key components of a nurse’s resignation letter consist of the following:
- Header: name, address, and date.
- Greeting: for example, using Dear Alex Karev
- Statement and resignation
- Last working day
- Expressions and gratitude
- Offer assistance with transition.
- Closing
Step-by-step guide on how to write a nurse resignation letter
Name, date, address
The first step to write a nurse resignation letter is to include name, address, and date to make it clear who is writing the letter and when it was written, for example:
Meredith Grey
789 Main Street
Cypress, Texas, 77468
September 10th, 2025
Greeting
The next step to write a nursing resignation letter is to address your resignation letter directly to your supervisor by using a professional greeting, such as:
Dear Alex Karev,
Statement and Resignation
It is important to clearly state in your nursing resignation letter that you are resigning. Make sure that it is straightforward and professional, for example:
- I am writing to formally resign as a registered nurse from Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Mention your last working day
Clearly mention your last working day, such as:
My last working day will be 22 September 2025.
Gratitude
It is important to thank your team and employer for the experiences and mentorship you had to leave a positive impression. For example,
I am grateful for the support and mentorship I had during my time here. It was a pleasure working with an amazing and compassionate team.
Help with transition
Offer help with the transition to show professionalism and respect. For example, you can write:
I am happy to assist and train my replacement to ensure a smooth transition.
Closing of the resignation letter
End your resignation letter for nursing with professionalism, such as
Sincerely,
Meredeth Grey
Tips to write a professional nursing resignation letter
Some of the tips to consider when writing your nurse resignation letter are as follows:
- Start professionally.
- Mention your position and the fact that you are resigning.
- Include your last working day and give proper notice two weeks before.
- Express your gratitude and offer help with the transition.
- Limit the resignation letter to one page.
- Use proper formatting.
- Check your grammar and spelling and keep your tone professional.
- Consider email etiquette.
- Submit your nurse resignation letter in person if possible.
- Keep a copy of your records.
Mistakes to avoid while writing your nurse resignation letter
- Don’t be vague or unclear about your last working day.
- Avoid criticizing or leaving bad comments about the workplace or colleagues.
- Keep it concise and do not add unnecessary details.
- Skipping gratitude can be unprofessional and rude.
- Avoid making grammatical or spelling mistakes, as it shows unprofessionalism.
- Failing to offer transition help.
- Avoid last-minute notifications.
- Avoid neglecting the proper format of a nurse’s resignation letter.
Resignation letter template for nurses
Here is an example of a nurse resignation letter template.
Meredith Grey
789 Main Street
Cypress, Texas, 77468
September 10th, 2025
Alex Karev
Memorial Hermann Hospital
456 Main Street
Cypress, TX, 47633
Dear Alex Karev,
I am writing to formally resign from my position as a Registered Nurse at Memorial Hermann Hospital, and my last working day will be 22 September 2025. I am very grateful for all the opportunities, guidance, and support I have received during my time here. It was a pleasure working with such an amazing and supportive team. I am happy to assist in training my replacement to ensure a smooth transition.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be part of Memorial Hermann Hospital. I wish the team success and hope to stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Meredeth Grey.
Conclusion
If you want to leave your hospital job gracefully, then writing a professional nursing resignation letter is very important, as it shows professionalism. It is important that your nursing resignation letter has these important components, a header, a greeting, a clear statement of your resignation, the last date of your work, your gratitude, help with offering assistance, and ending with a polite note. If you want to be more professional, it is important to give your resignation letter two weeks before you leave.
Avoid common mistakes while writing a resignation letter, such as adding unnecessary details, negative comments, and not being clear about your last day of work. When it’s time to say goodbye to your old workplace, you can leave gracefully on a positive note and preserve your reputation in the healthcare industry. Now, as you are saying goodbye to your old workplace, say hello to travel nursing, where you get freedom, flexibility, and high pay. Join SkillGigs now and become part of our travel nursing world, where you get the opportunity to work in top healthcare facilities and get the pay you deserve. Sign up now and start travel nursing with SkillGigs.
