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How to hire a licensed nurse practitioner

Licensed nurse practitioner hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring licensed nurse practitioners in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a licensed nurse practitioner is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new licensed nurse practitioner to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a licensed nurse practitioner, step by step

To hire a licensed nurse practitioner, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a licensed nurse practitioner:

Here's a step-by-step licensed nurse practitioner hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a licensed nurse practitioner job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed nurse practitioner
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a licensed nurse practitioner, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A licensed nurse practitioner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, licensed nurse practitioners from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents licensed nurse practitioner salaries for various positions.

    Type of Licensed Nurse PractitionerDescriptionHourly rate
    Licensed Nurse PractitionerLicensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic nursing care. They work under the direction of registered nurses and doctors.$19-37
    NurseNurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor... Show more$18-41
    Practical NurseA practical nurse is responsible for providing the highest quality care services for the patients and assisting them with their needs and concerns. Practical nurses work within a health institution or private household to support the patients in their daily activities, monitor their conditions, administer medication, and inform the doctors of their health updates... Show more$22-57
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • BLS
    • Medication Management
    • Vital Signs
    • HIPAA
    • IM
    • Blood Pressure
    • Catheter
    • Mental Health
    Responsibilities:
    • Assist with obtaining proper DME and permanent services which permit patients to safely manage their medical treatment from their own home.
    • care, colostomy care and wind care.
    • Set up and operate specialized medical equipment such as resuscitators, cardiac monitoring devices, EKG units, and oxygen analyzers.
    • Maintain and record vital statistics, nursing assessment and electronically document in EMR.
    • Provide accurate and timely documentation of pertinent patient observation and intervention as appropriate in EMR.
    • Direct patient care in a LTC facility, medication administration, supervision of subordinates, computerize documentation
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your licensed nurse practitioner job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A licensed nurse practitioner salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, licensed nurse practitioners' average salary in florida is 16% less than in rhode island.
    • Seniority. Entry-level licensed nurse practitioners earn 47% less than senior-level licensed nurse practitioners.
    • Certifications. A licensed nurse practitioner with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a licensed nurse practitioner's salary.

    Average licensed nurse practitioner salary

    $56,564yearly

    $27.19 hourly rate

    Entry-level licensed nurse practitioner salary
    $41,000 yearly salary
    Updated February 1, 2026
  4. Writing a licensed nurse practitioner job description

    A job description for a licensed nurse practitioner role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a licensed nurse practitioner job description:

    Licensed nurse practitioner job description example

    $6,000 Sign-On Bonus for RFT Nursing Hires! (Prorated for PT or Per Diem)
    Start your career Here! New Nursing Graduates Welcome to Apply
    Registered Nurse NDHC Long Term and Skilled Nursing Care Full Time, Part Time or Per Diem Available


    NDHC has an opening for a full time licensed nurse (RN or LPN) to join our skilled nursing facility in Worcester, MA. Per diem job openings are also available. The nursing professional will work alongside a team of dedicated caregivers to provide long term care and rehabilitative services to residents. Our nurse staffing ratios lead the industry. Our nurse assistant staffing ratios exceed industry standards. We are looking for candidates that are committed to providing only the highest level of care to our resident's. In exchange, NDHC is committed to providing our staff with a respectful, professional, and safe workplace. Job Responsibilities include:

    • Provide general nursing care to assigned residents including clinical intervention and medication administration.
    • Administer nursing treatments according to care plan.
    • Monitor nurse aide assignments and caregiving tasks during assigned shifts.
    • Serves as a leader and role model of customer service principles and consistently monitors and implements quality improvement efforts during assigned shifts.
    • Ensures that the unit functions according to accepted facility quality standards.

    PM17

    Requirements:
    • Current Massachusetts (MA) Licensure as a Registered Nurse (R.N.) or Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.) required (or eligible).
    • He/she has the ability to be directly responsible for assessing, planning, providing and documenting nursing care for a designated group of patients in accordance with the resident's plan of care.
    • Computer proficiency, experience with electronic health records.
    • Must possess a desire to provide compassionate care to the elderly.

    Who We Are :

    Notre Dame Health Care Center, Inc. deeply rooted in the heritage of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is committed to the physical, spiritual, and emotional care of our residents and patients. Located off the shores of Lake Quinsigamond within the woods of the Worcester Land Trust, our award winning Long Term Care facility seeks Nurses with their RN or LPN license (or license-eligible).


    Come join a group of dedicated employees that are compassionate, care about our residents, families and work as a team. We have one of the best resident staffing ratios in the city of Worcester. NDHC has great benefits for eligible employees, such as time off, company match retirement plan, medical, dental, vision, STD, and much more. We care about our employee's future and education. Through our Educational Bridge Center we offer scholarships, tuition assistance and free United States citizenships classes, we also offer adult learning night classes such as Hi-Set and ESL. we are locally and nationally recognized quality care facility.




    PI

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right licensed nurse practitioner for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your licensed nurse practitioner job on Zippia to find and attract quality licensed nurse practitioner candidates.
    • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit licensed nurse practitioners, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed nurse practitioner

    Once you've decided on a perfect licensed nurse practitioner candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new licensed nurse practitioner. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a licensed nurse practitioner?

Recruiting licensed nurse practitioners involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $56,564 per year for a licensed nurse practitioner, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for licensed nurse practitioners in the US typically range between $19 and $37 an hour.

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