1305 North Martin Avenue

P.O. Box 210203

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

August 16, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter of recommendation in support of Rayna McParlanes application for a
nurse residency or new graduate nursing position at your institution. I had the pleasure of being
Raynas clinical instructor for her pediatric nursing course during the Fall 2014 semester. This
included teaching Rayna during the didactic (lecture) portion of the course, along with serving as
her clinical instructor on the pediatric inpatient units at the University of Arizona Medical Center
- Diamond Childrens (now Banner University Medical Center Tucson). During my time with
her, Rayna 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.
During her pediatric clinical rotation at Diamond Childrens, Rayna established good rapport
with staff and patients/families alike. Rayna was well-liked by her patients, and she consistently
offered help to her peers and the nursing staff whenever she saw a need for assistance. This often
included assisting the patient care techs with completing vital signs on a variety of patients,
answering call lights when other staff members were unable to do so, and providing parental
support and respite when needed. Rayna utilized critical thinking skills to provide safe and
appropriate care for her young patients, and she maintained flexibility when clinical situations
changed. During this rotation, Rayna also 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.
Rayna actively participated in patient medical rounds, as well as the nursing care coordination
meetings, during which each patients current and predicted medical and discharge needs were
discussed. Rayna 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 highly recommend Rayna for a nurse residency or new graduate nursing position at your
institution. She is a delightful student who I think will make a compassionate and skilled nurse.
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, CPNP

Clinical Instructor University of Arizona College of Nursing