Nurse resignation letter
A nurse's resignation affects the rota and the patients on it. The letter should say when your last day is, that you will work your rostered shifts until then, and how you will hand over your patients.
- Address it to your ward manager or nursing superintendent, with HR in copy.
- If the rota for your last weeks is already published, say you will work it.
- Promise complete records and a full handover at the end of each shift.
Sets the letter format: India uses “To, The HR Manager” and a subject line, the UK and US do not.
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Resignation letter for nurses: a worked example.
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Date: 22 October 2026 To, Mrs. Leela Menon, Nursing Superintendent, Sunrise Multispeciality Hospital, Kochi. Subject: Resignation from the post of Staff Nurse (Employee ID: SMH-0741) Dear Mrs. Menon, Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from the post of Staff Nurse in the Cardiology department at Sunrise Multispeciality Hospital. In line with my notice period of two months, I propose Tuesday, 22 December 2026 as my last working day, subject to confirmation. I am leaving to take up a nursing post abroad. Until my last day, I will keep patient records up to date and give a full handover at the end of each shift, so that patient care is not affected. Thank you for the support of my colleagues and for everything I have learned at Sunrise Multispeciality Hospital. Please let me know the exit formalities. I would also request you to issue my relieving letter and experience certificate, and to process my full and final settlement. I wish Sunrise Multispeciality Hospital continued success. Yours sincerely, Anjali Thomas Staff Nurse, Cardiology Employee ID: SMH-0741
Your notice and the rota
Hospitals plan rotas weeks ahead, so the earlier you resign the easier it is to cover your shifts. Your contract sets your notice; senior nurses often have a longer one. If you have leave due, you can ask for it to be set against your notice, but staffing will decide.
Handing over your patients
- Bring every patient record up to date before your last shift.
- Hand over at the end of each shift in your ward's format, for example SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation).
- Tell the ward manager about any patient or family who needs to hear that you are leaving.
- Return keys, your badge and any equipment, following your hospital's policy for drug cupboard keys.
Documents for your next job
Ask for your relieving letter and an experience certificate that gives your dates, your department and your role. Most overseas registration and verification checks ask for proof of experience, so keep several copies. If you are moving abroad, you may also need a good standing certificate from your state nursing council.
In the UK and the US your registration or licence belongs to you, not your employer, so it moves with you. Ask your ward manager now if you will need a reference.
Related resignation letters.
Each one opens the generator set up for that case.
- Resignation letter for higher studiesTimed to your course, with the documents admissions ask for.
- Resignation letter with early release requestAsk to leave before your notice ends, with buyout or leave.
- Resignation letter for personal reasonsHow much to say, and what to leave out.
- Resignation letter formatIndia, UK and US formats, part by part, with examples.
Common questions.
How much notice should a nurse give?
Can a nurse resign without notice?
What should a nurse's resignation letter include?
Do I need an experience certificate to work abroad as a nurse?
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