What is a hospitalist nurse practitioner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Amy Grugan Ph.D.,
Dr. Charman Miller
introduction image

A hospital nurse practitioner is a healthcare professional who is licensed, and assists in managing the health conditions of patients in a hospital setting. These professionals often specialize in certain fields such as pediatrics, women's health, dermatology, oncology, or gerontology, and are licensed and authorized to diagnose and treat illnesses and conditions, as well as provide patient education. These individuals also act as mentors, counselors, researchers, educators, and consultants to hospital patients and staff, and work closely with other doctors, nurses, and hospital departments.

Hospital nurse practitioners must have a master's degree in nursing and have a valid state RN license. They must pass a national nurse practitioner certification examination as well. National certification for nurse practitioners is also available but depends on the individual's area of specialization. Many hospitals also require some leadership experience, as well as proficiency in interpersonal communication, analytical skills, and computer skills.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a hospital nurse practitioner is $156,000 per year, and the career field is expected to grow much faster than average by 45% in the next 10 years.

What general advice would you give to a Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner?

Amy Grugan Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Nursing, Bradley University

Keep an open mind as to all of the learning opportunities you have. Work to become, and be a part of, a culture of positivity. Focus on your patients and ensuring you, and the health care team, are providing the absolute best care possible. Work with patients and families to educate, encourage, and enhance healthy habits. Learn as much as you can so you enhance patient safety and become a knowledgeable and compassionate caregiver. Lastly, ensure you take time to put your new role in perspective, this is the beginning of your journey. Experiential learning is a great teacher, don't be afraid to ask questions so you understand.
ScoreHospitalist Nurse PractitionerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $103,683

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 40%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.32%

Asian 6.33%

Black or African American 4.66%

Hispanic or Latino 6.65%

Unknown 4.50%

White 77.54%

Gender

female 80.90%

male 19.10%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.4

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner in ,

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become a hospitalist nurse practitioner

  1. Explore hospitalist nurse practitioner education requirements

    Most common hospitalist nurse practitioner degrees

    Master's

    49.4 %

    Bachelor's

    32.3 %

    Associate

    11.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific hospitalist nurse practitioner skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients31.15%
    Acute Care12.09%
    Rehabilitation8.22%
    Acls4.55%
    Critical Care4.34%
  3. Complete relevant hospitalist nurse practitioner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hospitalist nurse practitioners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hospitalist nurse practitioner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hospitalist nurse practitioner resumes.
  4. Research hospitalist nurse practitioner duties and responsibilities

    • Manage continuity of care for complex general internal patients with limit resources-diabetes, hypertension, psychiatric, and homeless.
    • Complete consultations for medical management history and physical on patients admit to the hospital by specialty physicians.
    • Provide inclusive medical management as admitting, attending and/or consulting agent for patients who require hospitalization for primary medical diagnosis.
    • Skil at EKG interpretation and arrhythmia recognition and management.assist with transition and implementation of computerize provider order entry and documentation.
  5. Prepare your hospitalist nurse practitioner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hospitalist nurse practitioner resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hospitalist nurse practitioner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume templates

    Build a professional Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner resume.
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Resume
  6. Apply for hospitalist nurse practitioner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a hospitalist nurse practitioner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Job

Zippi

Are you a Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average hospitalist nurse practitioner salary

The average Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner salary in the United States is $103,683 per year or $50 per hour. Hospitalist nurse practitioner salaries range between $59,000 and $180,000 per year.

Average Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner Salary
$103,683 Yearly
$49.85 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
salary-calculator

How do hospitalist nurse practitioners rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Helping others

Cons

Lack of pay, paperwork, seeing the same patients and doing the same as a physician but getting paid alot less!


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

I like the autonomy and the fulfillment of helping others.

Cons

I dislike the variations in the pay rates between NPs and PAs.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

patient interaction, discussion of anything encouraging as they deal with longterm chronic illnesses. Empowering the patient to be part of the solution, and also to find ways to focus outside of their illness. And I love discussing research with patients when it relates .

Cons

#1 Administration does not value you as a health professional. They are stuck in the image of the nurse meaning we follow. They don't see us as clinicians that make a difference not just by caring, but by evaluating organ systems, medication regimens, finding the answer by communicating and getting a great history in regards to chief complaints, evaluating labs and staying up to date with research. I and other NP's before me laid the groundwork for our profession y working hard and being smart and educated. I have seen how companies want to get rid of the experienced NP to fill the role with two entry level NP's. There is age discrimination on top of it, it's not just the pay. #2 Arrogant doctors who push most of the work onto you in regards to documentation and also patient's medical management. Then act like they are "so busy". We know the good doctors from the ones who are their own fan club.


Working as a Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner FAQs

Search for hospitalist nurse practitioner jobs

Loading...

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs