1305 North Martin Avenue

P.O. Box 210203

Tucson, AZ 85721-0203
Tel: (520) 626-6152
Fax: (520) 626-2669
www.nursing.arizona.edu

October 6, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter of recommendation in support of Alyssa Halls application for a nurse
residency or new graduate position at your institution. I had the pleasure of being Alyssas
clinical instructor for her pediatric nursing course during the Fall 2015 semester. This included
teaching Alyssa during the didactic (lecture) portion of the course, along with as serving as her
instructor on the pediatric inpatient units at Banner Childrens Diamond Childrens Medical
Center. During my time with her, Alyssa impressed me with her compassion and her ability to
embrace teachable moments with her patients and families. She asked pertinent questions, and
she consistently worked hard to improve on the skills she had learned in class and in clinical.
While completing her pediatric clinical rotation at Diamond Childrens Medical Center, Alyssa
learned to thoroughly assess her pediatric patients, and she maintained flexibility when clinical
situations changed. Alyssa utilized critical thinking skills to provide safe and appropriate care for
her young patients, including patients on the general pediatric and the pediatric hematology/
oncology units. While on these units, Alyssa began to develop her role as a patient advocate by
working with the interdisciplinary team to ensure the needs of her patients were being met.
Alyssa participated in patient medical rounds, as well as the nursing care coordination meetings,
during which the patients current and predicted medical and discharge needs were discussed.
Alyssa learned to integrate her patients medical diagnoses with her own physical assessment
findings to develop thorough nursing plans of care. She would then follow-up on the expected
outcomes for her patients and make any necessary adjustments to their plans of care to ensure the
outcomes were met. Alyssa took an active role in her learning, and she willingly accepted
feedback in order to improve her clinical performance and understanding of the theory behind
why she was doing what she was doing. It was rewarding to watch her grow and develop in this
area.
I have no reservations about recommending Alyssa for a nurse residency or new graduate
position at your institution. She was a delightful student who always strove for the best.
If you have any questions about this letter of recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact
me via email (smcarson@email.arizona.edu) or phone (520-444-2459).
Sincerely,

Sheri Carson, MSN, RN, CPN, CPNP

Clinical Instructor University of Arizona College of Nursing