A strong advanced-nursing recommendation does not merely certify that the applicant is a good nurse. It shows how the nurse thinks, communicates, leads, improves care, and responds when the situation is complex.
Use the destination’s prompt to decide which examples matter most, then distinguish direct observation from résumé or applicant-supplied context.
Explain your clinical or academic vantage point
Identify your role, the applicant’s role, the setting and population, length of the relationship, frequency of contact, and the responsibilities you directly observed.
Develop one clinical judgment example
Choose a de-identified situation that shows assessment, prioritization, communication, escalation, coordination, advocacy, or safe follow-through. Focus on behavior and reasoning you could observe; do not disclose protected patient information.
Add advanced-level evidence
- Leadership or influence beyond assigned tasks
- Use of evidence or inquiry to improve practice
- Quality or safety improvement
- Interprofessional communication
- Teaching, mentoring, or systems thinking
- Growth after feedback or challenge
Connect the record to the target role
Explain why the observed behaviors support readiness for graduate study and the applicant’s intended population or advanced nursing role. Avoid predicting abilities you have not had a basis to assess.
Conclude and submit independently
State the strength of your recommendation, add a defined comparison group if useful, verify names and program details, and submit through the official NursingCAS or school-specific channel.
Ground the recommendation in nursing behavior you directly observed, then explain why that evidence supports advanced-level study and responsibility.
Keep the np & dnp programs requirements in view.
In NursingCAS, references appear only for programs that require them and are submitted electronically by the references themselves through Liaison Letters. Programs may specify acceptable roles or relationships, and some nursing programs use separate application systems, so the destination’s current instructions always control.
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