This letter commits to your scheduled shifts and a complete patient handoff, which is what a nurse manager most needs to hear. To fill in your unit, your manager and your exact last day, set the type of job to Nurse in the 2 week notice template.
Not legal advice. Check your contract and local law for notice rules.
What is different for nurses
Resigning from a nursing job is mostly the same as anywhere else, except that patients depend on the schedule. These are the parts that change:
Finish the shifts you are already scheduled for.
Offer to help cover open shifts and to hand off your patients in full.
Read your contract or union agreement for the notice it asks for.
Check any sign-on bonus or tuition repayment terms before you pick a date.
Tell your nurse manager before HR or your colleagues.
Agency and travel nurses tell their agency first, then the facility.
Schedules are often posted weeks ahead, so you may already be on the schedule past the date you have in mind. Check the posted schedule before you choose your last day, then either work those shifts or agree with your manager who will cover them, and put that agreement in writing.
How much notice to give
There is no single number for nurses. Your contract and your unit decide, so check the right document for your role:
Role
What to check
Staff nurse
Your contract or offer letter, and your unit's policy on resignations
Specialty or charge nurse
The unit's policy, which often asks for more than two weeks because replacements take longer to orient
Agency or travel nurse
Your agency contract, including any terms for ending an assignment early
Union member
Your collective agreement, which may set its own notice period
If nothing you signed sets a period, two weeks is the usual minimum, and more is kinder to a unit that has to cover your shifts. The two weeks notice letter examples include general versions if your role is not on a unit.
Agency and travel nurses have two parties to tell. Call your recruiter before you say anything on the unit, read the contract's terms for ending an assignment early, and then put your notice in writing to the agency, and to the facility as well if the contract asks for it.
If you received a sign-on bonus, relocation money or tuition help, read the repayment terms before you set a date. Some agreements ask for part or all of it back if you leave before a set point, so a later last day can change what you owe. HR can tell you the amount, if any.
Resigning without risking your license
Giving notice and working the shifts you have accepted is the safe path. The concern people mean by patient abandonment usually arises when a nurse leaves an accepted assignment without handing off patients, for example walking out partway through a shift. A resignation with notice is not that.
Rules differ by state, so if you are unsure, your state board of nursing is the place to check. If you truly cannot give notice, hand off every patient before you leave, tell your charge nurse, and put your last day in writing; the immediate resignation letter page shows calm wording for that case.
Keep a copy of your letter and of any reply that confirms your last day. If a question comes up later, a dated record showing that you gave notice and finished your shifts is the evidence you will want.
Nurse resignation letter samples
Four letters for staff nurses, written around shifts and patient handover. Each one names your last day and speaks to shift cover and patient handover, so your manager can start planning from the first read.
1. Staff nurse, new job
Use it when you are a staff nurse moving to a new job with two weeks to go.
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name],
Please accept this letter as my two weeks' notice of resignation from my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day will be [Last day]. I have accepted a new position that is the right next step for me.
I am grateful to have worked alongside such a dedicated care team, and I have learned a great deal caring for our patients.
I am happy to help with shift coverage and to support a smooth patient handover before I leave.
I wish you, the staff and our patients all the best.
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name],
Please accept this letter as my two weeks' notice of resignation from my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day will be [Last day]. I have accepted a new position that is the right next step for me.
I am grateful to have worked alongside such a dedicated care team, and I have learned a great deal caring for our patients.
I am happy to help with shift coverage and to support a smooth patient handover before I leave.
I wish you, the staff and our patients all the best.
Kind regards,
[Your name]
2. Moving away, more than two weeks' notice
Use it when you are relocating and giving your unit extra time to cover shifts.
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name],
Please take this letter as my notice that I'm leaving my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day will be [Last day]. I'm moving away, which means saying goodbye to this job.
Thank you for your support and for everything I've learned on this unit. It has meant a lot to care for our patients alongside this team.
I'll cover my scheduled shifts and do all I can to make the handover easy for everyone, patients included.
I'll miss this team and our patients, and I hope we stay in touch.
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name],
Please take this letter as my notice that I'm leaving my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day will be [Last day]. I'm moving away, which means saying goodbye to this job.
Thank you for your support and for everything I've learned on this unit. It has meant a lot to care for our patients alongside this team.
I'll cover my scheduled shifts and do all I can to make the handover easy for everyone, patients included.
I'll miss this team and our patients, and I hope we stay in touch.
Best wishes,
[Your name]
3. Going back to school, formal
Use it when you are leaving for further study and want a formal record.
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name]:
Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day of employment will be [Last day]. I have decided to pursue further education.
I am grateful for the clinical experience I have gained in this position and for the support of the nursing staff.
I will fulfill my scheduled shifts and ensure a thorough handover of patient care before my departure.
I extend my best wishes to everyone on the unit and to the patients in its care.
[Date]
Dear [Manager's name]:
Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day of employment will be [Last day]. I have decided to pursue further education.
I am grateful for the clinical experience I have gained in this position and for the support of the nursing staff.
I will fulfill my scheduled shifts and ensure a thorough handover of patient care before my departure.
I extend my best wishes to everyone on the unit and to the patients in its care.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
4. Nurse resignation email
Use it when your nurse manager takes notice by email. Subject lines and the rule about CC are on the two weeks notice email page.
Subject: My two weeks' notice
Dear [Manager's name],
Please accept this email as my two weeks' notice of resignation from [Company]. My last day will be [Last day]. I need to step away to care for my family.
Thank you for the support I have had on this unit and for the chance to grow as a nurse.
I will work my scheduled shifts through my last day and make sure my patients are handed off with complete notes.
I am happy to talk about next steps whenever it suits you.
Subject: My two weeks' notice
Dear [Manager's name],
Please accept this email as my two weeks' notice of resignation from [Company]. My last day will be [Last day]. I need to step away to care for my family.
Thank you for the support I have had on this unit and for the chance to grow as a nurse.
I will work my scheduled shifts through my last day and make sure my patients are handed off with complete notes.
I am happy to talk about next steps whenever it suits you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Questions
How much notice should a nurse give?
Two weeks is common, but many nursing contracts, union agreements and specialty units ask for more, and your contract and unit policy decide. Read them before you set a date. If you are unsure, ask your nurse manager or HR what notice your role needs, and get the answer in writing.
Is resigning the same as patient abandonment?
No. Giving notice and working your scheduled shifts is not abandonment. Concerns usually arise when a nurse leaves an accepted assignment without handing off patients. The rules differ by state, so your board of nursing is the place to check if you have any doubt about your situation.
Do I have to pay back a sign-on bonus if I resign?
Only if your agreement says so. Many sign-on bonuses come with a repayment clause tied to how long you stay, so read yours closely and ask HR how much, if anything, you would owe before you set your last day. Get the answer in writing and keep it with your copy of the letter.
Who should a nurse give a resignation letter to?
Give it to your nurse manager first, then to HR. If you work through an agency or as a travel nurse, your agency coordinator or recruiter comes first, because your contract is with them, and they will tell you who at the facility needs a copy.
How should a travel nurse end a contract early?
Call your recruiter first, then read the contract terms for ending early, including any notice period and fees. Put your notice in writing to the agency, and to the facility if the contract says so. Finish the shifts you have already accepted where you can, and keep copies of everything you send.
Should I keep working my scheduled shifts after I give notice?
Yes, unless your manager releases you early. Working the shifts you are already scheduled for keeps your patients covered while the unit arranges cover, and it protects your reference. If you cannot work one of them, tell your manager as early as you can and help find someone to take it.
