If you’re reading this article, then you’re probably thinking about retiring from your nursing career.
You’ve put in your years, and now you want to go spend your time focusing on a hobby, spending time with family or pursuing other ventures.
Regardless of which one, you’re doing the right thing by wanting to leave on a high note by writing a nurse retirement letter.
What Do You Write in a Retirement Letter For Nurses?
In a nurse retirement letter, you’re going to tell your employer you’re planning on retiring. Then you’re going to thank them for the opportunity you’ve had growing and working with them. Lastly, you’re going to mention helping with the transition process.
Since it’s not always the easiest thing to find the right words or even to know where to begin, we’re going to make it a little easier for you.
Below I’m going to give you some examples of a nurse retirement letter you can use to write your own.
What is a Nurse Retirement Letter?
A nurse retirement letter in a lot of ways is very similar to a nurse resignation letter.
With a nurse retirement letter, you’re formally letting your employer (manager and human resource) know that you plan to retire from the organization.
The retirement letter is also important for record-keeping purposes for your employer’s human resource department.
What Needs to be Included in a retirement letter for nurses?
One thing that makes nurses nervous when it comes to writing a nurse retirement letter is that they think the letter needs to be fancy or super complicated.
Nope.
Not really.
You don’t need to add a lot of detail to the retirement letter there’s just a handful of things you need to mention on there, and that’s it.
Here’s a basic breakdown of the letter:
- Letterhead (optional-unless you really want to be fancy)
- Greetings
- Introduction paragraph
- Body paragraph
- Conclusion
- Sign-off
- Your Signature
- Your name printed
- The date
We have a picture example below you can look at.
As you can see, you want your name and your address at the top. Below that you’re going to have the date.
Underneath that put your manager’s name (or the recipient’s name, address the letters individually) and the facility address.
The middle section will be the salutation or greetings along with the body paragraphs.
The last part will be your sign-off, signature, your name, and your title.
Example of Retirement Letters for Nurses (for Reference)
Below we’ve included examples you can use to write your retirement letter. FYI the first one is a template the others are sample letters.
Sample Retirement Letter for Nurses (Template) #1
Your Contact Information
Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
The Date
The date you’re going to hand off the letter
Your Employer’s Contact Information
Recipients Name
Facility Name
Facility Address
City, State, Zip Code
Facility Phone Number
Greeting/ Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. First Name & Last Name
1st Paragraph
Tell your employer you’re retiring and include your last day in there.
2nd Paragraph
This is the paragraph you’ll use to thank your employer for the opportunity you’ve had to grow and learn working for them.
3rd and last paragraph
Conclude by offering to help them recruit or train a replacement for your position between now and your last day working for the company. This is especially important if you were in any kind of leadership role.
Also make sure to specify until your last day of employment especially if your set on what day is going to be your last day.
Some employers might try to keep you there longer especially if they’re having a hard time recruiting a replacement. If you’re flexible on what day is going to be your last day, then that might be a different story.
Closing Sign-off
Sincerely (also could use respectfully yours)
Retirement Letter Examples for Nurses #2
John Doe, RN
3456 Wood Street
City, TX 34512
(345) 678-9101
January 21, 2050
Anna Smith
Hospital Supervisor
Memorial Hospital
3454 Hospital Lane
City, TX 34512
Dear Ms. Smith,
Please accept this letter as my written formal notice of my intention to retire from Memorial Hospital effective February 15, 2019.
Thank you very much for the opportunity I had to work as a nurse for Memorial Hospital. I have enjoyed my time here the past 15 years, and while I am sad to be leaving, I am really looking forward to moving on to this next chapter of my life.
Please let me know how I can assist in the transition process.
Sincerely,
(signature)
John Doe
Staff Nurse
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Writing a Nurse Retirement Letter
Here are some frequently asked questions related to writing a retirement letter for a nurse job.
1. Why should I write a retirement letter for my nursing job?
A nurse resignation letter is a way to notify your employers that you’re going to retire. This does a couple of things.
- 1st, it’s a good gesture because it means your employer can start getting things in order for your replacement.
- 2nd, most employers require a written notice of resignation.
- 3rd, if you have been there a while and you’re well-liked, your co-workers might throw a little bit of a party to celebrate your retirement.
2. How much notice do I need to give before retiring?
The usual standard is 2 weeks though that could vary. I know many employers would appreciate a little bit more time. Consult your employee handbook to make sure.
3. Can a nurse retire without notice?
Sure, you could quit without notice, but that’s usually not recommended because it puts you at risk for burning bridges.
You can check out the article we wrote on “Can a Nurse Retire Without Notice” for more info.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful. We wish you the best of luck as you move into retirement.
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