How to hire an orthopedic nurse practitioner

How to hire an orthopedic nurse practitioner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step orthopedic 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 an orthopedic nurse practitioner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new orthopedic nurse practitioner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an orthopedic 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?

   Yes

   No

   An orthopedic nurse practitioner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, orthopedic 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 shows salaries for various types of orthopedic nurse practitioners.

   Type of Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner	Description	Hourly rate
   Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner	Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. The scope of practice varies from state to state.	$25-89
   Practitioner	The duties of a practitioner depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the medical field, a practitioner is a doctor who provides medical services to patients according to their health issues or concerns, primarily by diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries... Show more	$24-66
   Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner	A Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner provides emotional support to patients and their family members faced with life-threatening illnesses. They collaborate with the primary care physician or medical director.	$26-91

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Surgery
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient Education
   • Medical History
   • Spine
   • CPR
   • Primary Care
   • Physical Therapy
   • Physical Examinations
   • Diagnostic Tests
   • Home Health
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Surgical Procedures

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Experience in managing type 2 DM, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, COPD, sleep apnea, and asthma.
   • Specialize in post-operative care and rehabilitation, in coordination with physical therapy department.
   • Perform in-office procedures, such as dermal shave, punch biopsy and cryotherapy.
   • Educate, instruct, and support new or experience bedside nurses in the Neurosurgical ICU.
   • Assist in biopsy and skin removal procedures including MOHS surgery, cryotherapy, laser, injections and sutures.
   • Educate patients and family on patient specific diagnosis, therapeutic regimens and pain management techniques including patient control analgesia.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your orthopedic nurse practitioner job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An orthopedic nurse practitioner salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, orthopedic nurse practitioners' average salary in hawaii is 52% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level orthopedic nurse practitioners earn 72% less than senior-level orthopedic nurse practitioners.
   • Certifications. An orthopedic 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 an orthopedic nurse practitioner's salary.

   Average orthopedic nurse practitioner salary

   $98,419yearly

   $47.32 hourly rate

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   Entry-level orthopedic nurse practitioner salary

   $52,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

4. Writing an orthopedic nurse practitioner job description

   A job description for an orthopedic 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 an orthopedic nurse practitioner job description:

   Orthopedic nurse practitioner job description example

   You'll want to join Billings Clinic for our outstanding quality of care, exciting environment, interesting cases from a vast geography, advanced technology and educational opportunities. We are in the top 1% of hospitals internationally for receiving Magnet® Recognition consecutively since 2006.
   
   And you'll want to stay at Billings Clinic for the amazing teamwork, caring atmosphere, and a culture that values kindness, safety and courage. This is an incredible place to learn and grow. Billings, Montana, is a friendly, college community in the Rocky Mountains with great schools and abundant family activities. Amazing outdoor recreation is just minutes from home. Four seasons of sunshine!
   You can make a difference here. About Us
   Billings Clinic is a community-owned, not-for-profit, Physician-led health system based in Billings with more than 4,700 employees, including over 550 physicians and non-physician providers. Our integrated organization consists of a multi-specialty group practice and a 304-bed hospital. Learn more about Billings Clinic (our organization, history, mission, leadership and regional locations) and how we are recognized nationally for our exceptional quality.
   
   Your Benefits
   We provide a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to all full-time employees (minimum of 24 hours/week), including Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(b) Retirement Plan with employer matching, Defined Contribution Pension Plan, Paid Time Off, employee wellness program, and much more. Click here for more information or download the Employee Benefits Guide. Magnet: Commitment to Nursing Excellence
   Billings Clinic is proud to be recognized for nursing excellence as a Magnet®-designated organization, joining only 97 other organizations worldwide that have achieved this honor four times. The re-designation process happens every four years. Click here to learn more! Pre-Employment Requirements
   All new employees must complete several pre-employment requirements prior to starting. Click here to learn more! Nurse Navigator - Orthopedics - Bozeman
   BOZEMAN ORTHOPEDICS - 7460 (BILLINGS CLINIC BOZEMAN AMBULATORY)
   req4067
   
   Shift: Day
   Employment Status: Full-Time (.75 or greater)
   Hours per Pay Period: 1.00 = 80 hours (Non-Exempt)
   Starting Wage DOE + Bozeman Differential The incumbent in this position acts as an advocate for patients serving as the primary point of contact and is responsible for coordinating the care and services of the identified patient populations for an extended period of time across the continuum of care for both inpatient and outpatient services; promoting effective resource utilization; assuming a leadership role with the multidisciplinary team to achieve an optimal clinical outcome. Essential Job Functions Supports and models behaviors consistent with the mission and philosophy of Billings Clinic and department/service.
   Facilitates the coordination of patient care services to assure excellence in patient care and patient flow; includes coordinating care, treatment and communication among the medical team. Follows patient through the care continuum/experience, eliminating operational (such as scheduling, test results, etc.) barriers to services. Works closely with other healthcare disciplines to ensure timely appointments, results reporting, financial need referrals, communication, patient care and follow-up. Facilitates the development, implementation and adherence to clinical and evidenced based guidelines, as appropriate, to ensure optimal clinical outcomes. Ensures follow-up on identified patient clinical and non-clinical care, facilitating communication and compliance to care plans (i.e., medication reconciliation, follow-up on care concerns/critical values/core measures, patient care conferences, etc.) Ensures follow up has occurred regarding patient clinical and non clinical care to include adherence to plans of care, resource utilization, and general progress utilizing care conferences as necessary. Works in collaboration with the medical team to develop and implement clinical guidelines. Facilitates the adherence of the guidelines through regular evaluation and auditing of clinical practice. Works with care team to assure direct care needs are met, assisting as needed or assigned. Ensures follow-up in the inpatient and/or outpatient setting on identified patient clinical and non-clinical care, facilitating communication and compliance to care plans (i.e., medication reconciliation, follow-up on care concerns/critical values/core measures, patient care conferences, etc.). Demonstrates expertise in educational and resourcing services. Participates in educational activities related to patient/community, clinical operation and process issues on an ongoing basis. Collaborates with other health care providers in developing, implementing and evaluating educational materials for patients and their families. Facilitates intra-departmental relationships in an effort to provide necessary resources to and for the patient. Interfaces with other members/disciplines within the healthcare teams for appropriate referrals/services. Contributes to an environment of quality and process improvement. Ensures accurate and timely data collection and entry into patient database as indicated by department guidelines. Directs and coordinates identified quality assessment and improvement activities to assure quality patient services are monthly provided through audits and reviews other identified evaluation tools. Ensures patient care activities for the department services are monitored monthly through audits and reviews. Complies with all Billings Clinic policies. Works in collaboration with Leadership team to ensure hospital and clinic departmental goals and objectives are met. Identifies needs and sets goals for own growth and development; meets all mandatory organizational and departmental requirements. Maintains competency in all organizational, departmental and outside agency environmental, employee or patient safety standards relevant to job performance. Minimum Qualifications
   Education Graduate of an accredited school of nursing Minimum 4 Year / Bachelors Degree Bachelors degree in nursing within 4 years of hire Experience Two (2) years clinical practice experience, 5 years of service line experience preferred One (1) year demonstrated computer experience dealing with word processing and data management Certifications and Licenses Current Montana/Wyoming RN license At hire Healthcare Provider CPR certification At hire Billings Clinic is Montana's largest health system serving Montana, Wyoming and the western Dakotas. A not-for-profit organization led by a physician CEO, the health system is governed by a board of community members, nurses and physicians. Billings Clinic includes an integrated multi-specialty group practice, tertiary care hospital and trauma center, based in Billings, Montana. Learn more at www.billingsclinic.com/aboutus Billings Clinic is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. All policies and processes are designed toward achieving fair and equitable treatment of all employees and job applicants. Employees are encouraged to discuss any concerns they have in this regard with their immediate supervisor and/or the Vice President People Resources. All employees and job applicants will be provided the same treatment in all aspects of the employment relationship, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, genetic information or disability.

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5. Post your job

   To find orthopedic nurse practitioners for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any orthopedic nurse practitioners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level orthopedic nurse practitioners with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your orthopedic nurse practitioner job on Zippia to find and recruit orthopedic nurse practitioner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with orthopedic nurse practitioner candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 orthopedic nurse practitioner

   Once you've decided on a perfect orthopedic 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new orthopedic nurse practitioner. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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