Melissa Ritchey, RN, BSN

Tucson, AZ 85748 | 520-904-4066 | mritchey@email.arizona.edu

Ms. Maureen Warwick

Childrens Clinics for Rehab
2600 N Wyatt Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85712
Dear Ms. Warwick:
I would like to express my interest for the position of the chief nursing officer in your Childrens
Hospital through this cover letter. A resume is enclosed with this application to provide you with more
information related to my professional and educational background. My experience in patient care
spans to over 12 years. In these years, I have worked as a staff nurse in a Pediatric Emergency
Department and held positions in Management. My present employer is Tucson Medical Center, where I
am serving for the last two years as the Director of Emergency Services and House Supervisors.
As a Director, I am actively involved in improving quality and safety management at my organization.
I am directly responsible for assuring that the areas I oversee have the processes in place to provide
safe and quality care to our patients.
Improving patient safety and quality is one of the most urgent issues pressing on our healthcare
system today. I believe safety is the foundation on which quality care is built on. Quality care implies
that the care is safe, effective and efficient, patient centered, timely and equitable.
I am committed to improving outcomes for our patients by using Lean Methodology. My approach to
improving outcomes is to allow the staff at the frontlines to make decisions about the work they do. I
specifically focus on continuous improvement through 3-5 day events in which the staff, including
representatives from other areas that impact the care of our patients and a patient gather in a room to
review the areas we can improve on, focus on the five whys and collaboratively agree on what they
will implement to improve our department. My role is to support them and assure they have what they
need to care for our patients. I have learned that through this management system, the staff have
taken ownership and pride of the work they do and our patient experience, safety and quality metrics
have improved significantly.
I believe I offer the leadership and skill that would benefit your hospital. I am certain that my teamfocused, positive attitude and emphasis on quantifiable results would be a welcome addition to your
organization.
Sincerely,

Melissa Ritchey, RN, BSN