CRNA Letter of Recommendation Template

As a leader at your facility, you may be asked to provide referrals for staff nurses who are pursuing higher education, such as those applying to certified registered nurse anesthesia (CRNA) programs. We put together this CRNA letter of recommendation sample and section-by-section guide to help you craft an organized, professional, and compelling letter.

Because administering anesthesia is a critical role in healthcare that comes with inherent risk, nurse anesthetist programs look for candidates who are responsible, analytical, and capable of working under stress. CRNA programs are highly competitive, and your input about the candidate’s related strengths could make a significant difference.

Writing a Letter of Recommendation for Residency

Before writing a referral for a nurse pursuing the anesthetist career path, it may be helpful to understand what the application process entails and how your letter will contribute. Prospective students will complete a pre-admission checklist that could include:

• BSN degree
• Active RN license
• Relevant work experience
• Prerequisite courses
• CRNA shadowing
• Academic transcripts
• GRE scores
• Professional certifications
• CRNA letter of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Current resume

Your referral will offer a personal assessment of the candidate’s potential, including their clinical aptitude and moral character. If you’ve supervised the nurse applicant in a critical care setting, you can provide valuable insights into how they perform under pressure. Though the letter of recommendation may seem to be just a formality, it carries a lot of weight.

CRNA Letter of Recommendation Template and Tips

Because a reference letter is a critical piece of a successful application packet, you’ll want to give the matter some thought. Do you know the applicant well enough to personally attest to their abilities? Only endorse applicants whom you feel can handle the rigorous, doctorate-level training involved and the pressures of the career.

1. Before you Begin: Gather Information

If you agree to write a CRNA letter of recommendation, a good first step is to ask the nurse to give you details about the program they’re applying to. As of 2025, all nurse anesthetists are required to have a doctorate degree to practice. There are two common pathways for students to take: Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Also, be sure to request a list of relevant career highlights including achievements, certifications, and awards. You’ll want to showcase the nurse’s abilities and attributes with concrete, specific facts, and this list will give you material to draw from.

Add your own notes about what you’ve seen and experienced with regard to the nurse, with a focus on safe patient care, teamwork, and excellent clinical skills. Once you’ve gathered some information, you’re ready to write.

2. Start With a Professional Greeting and Introduction

Tips: To begin, provide a greeting and introduce yourself. State the reason you’re writing, then explain your role and your connection to the applicant.

Use a professional, clear, pleasant tone, and keep your writing concise. When complete, your letter should take up no more than one page. You can use our CRNA letter of recommendation sample to guide your writing style.

Template:

Dear [Name of CRNA Program] Admissions Committee,

My name is [your name], and I am writing to recommend Cristina Lopez to your BSN-to-DNP program. As the nurse manager of the [your facility] Surgical ICU, I have supervised Cristina for the past two years.

I have seen Cristina excel in many diverse and challenging clinical situations, and grow in her abilities to collaborate with a team. I believe she would do very well in your esteemed program and go on to be an excellent nurse anesthetist.

3. Describe the Candidate’s Strengths, Skills, and Qualifications

Tips: In this section of your CRNA letter of recommendation you’ll go into some depth about why the candidate is a great fit for the program. Emphasize the candidate’s nursing strengths and skills that pertain to the CRNA scope of practice, such as: experience with challenging and complex patients, resilience in demanding situations, and time management skills.

Template:

During her time on our unit, Cristina became a resource for other nurses due to her deep understanding of pathophysiology. She is a powerful advocate for the patients under her care. Cristina has a remarkable ability to identify subtle changes in her patients’ conditions, and uses impressive critical thinking skills to take actions that prevent adverse events.

She has strong communication skills, and last fall her work on our unit’s Quality Council led to the implementation of a new standardized system for taking verbal reports from the Operating Room and PACU staff. This contributed to improved scores on our annual Patient Safety and Adverse Event Tracking report.

4. List Personality Attributes and Behavior Traits

Tips: Your next step is to discuss the applicant’s positive attributes and behavior traits. Consider the nurse’s ability to relate to others on the care team, patients, and patients’ family members. You could discuss personality attributes that are desired of a CRNA, such as adaptability and an ability to think clearly under pressure. You may want to include a brief anecdote to emphasize a nurse’s unique clinical experience.

Template:

Cristina’s team members often remark on her unwavering composure in the midst of stress and uncertainty. There have been multiple times over the past two years when a patient family approached me to share that Cristina’s calm presence is helpful and healing.

I have witnessed this firsthand many times over the past two years. In one instance, her patient pulled out his central line, resulting in significant risk of infection and blood loss. Cristina collaborated with her team to establish a new line and mitigate the risk to the patient, and she successfully calmed down her patient. It is experiences like this that make me confident of her great potential.

5. Conclude with a Final Commendation

Tips: Here, you’ll want to convey strong support for the applicant, and reiterate the reasons you believe they will succeed. A great letter of recommendation will leave a lasting impression on the reader and help the candidate stand out among the competition.

Template:

I believe Cristina would be a strong addition to your BSN-to-DNP program. Because of what I’ve seen of her performance in our unit, I am confident she will succeed as she pursues new avenues of nursing.

6. Provide Your Personal Contact Details for Further Questions

Tips: The recipient of your letter may want to follow up with you, so include your contact details at the end of your letter. Make it clear that you’re open to discussing the matter further.

Template:

Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions. I would be happy to discuss Cristina’s contributions to our unit in more detail.

Best regards,

[Your name and credentials]

[Place of employment]

[Email address]

[Phone number]

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