Being at the top of a reporting line carries a lot of responsibility. Not only do you have to plan a strategy and deal with crises, but you also have to write recommendation letters when your staff wants to move on! This can be a bit daunting sometimes, but do remember that you don’t have to write it when you’re asked. If you feel that the person in question has not done a good job, then it’s better not to write a letter at all, rather than write a negative one.
Step 1 is, of course, finding out exactly what the letter will be used for. If it is for an educational institution, you’ll need to focus on the staff member’s achievements in the academic field, as well as what practical experience he or she might have, and how well they did it. Remember, your job here is to get the person into the institution.
Basically, you will need to write why you feel that the staff member is worthy of getting into a specific institute. The need is to show something new about him or her, something that will influence the concerned people into admitting him. Here is a recommendation letter, written by the head of an institute for a certified nursing assistant’s entry into a medical institution:
Letter of Recommendation for CNA to Nursing School
To Whom It May Concern
I am writing this letter to recommend Faith Shinobi’s admission to your medical college as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Faith has been working in my medical institute for about five years now and has shown herself to be a diligent and hard worker. She is reliable, efficient, and a team player, and has a quality I believe to be essential in a nurse: compassion. Thus she has been a source of motivation for her peers, as well as those working above her.
Her work consisted of preparation and sterilization of rooms, organizing medical tools, conducting tests, and helping patients in many other ways. She also took responsibility for chores that did not come under her job description and carried them out with conscientiousness. The rest of the nursing team was also always pleased with her. Faith has been extremely valuable here, as I am sure she will be at your medical institution.
Please feel free to contact me at (000) 999-9999 should you like to discuss Faith’s qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.
Sincerely,
Mure Miller
Chief of Surgery
Lankland Hospital
284 Eaton Place
Portland, MN