HomeFeaturesBest Small and Mid-sized Hospitals for Nurse Practitioners

Best Small and Mid-sized Hospitals for Nurse Practitioners in 2024

Choosing the right place to work can significantly impact a nurse practitioner’s career. While there are significant benefits to working at large hospitals, small and mid-sized hospitals can offer many unique opportunities for nurse practitioners, from a close-knit community feel to specialized patient care. Smaller institutions also allow for greater role flexibility and the opportunity to work on more unique cases.

Alongside smaller hospitals’ professional growth opportunities, they often have a more patient-centered approach that can benefit the nurse practitioners keen on honing their patient care skills. Smaller teams mean closer communication, which can translate into well-coordinated patient care. Also, the work-life balance in smaller cities or towns where many small and mid-sized hospitals are located can be more favorable, with less commuting and more community engagement.

We have compiled a list of the best small and midsized hospitals ideal for nurse practitioners based on specific parameters, including hospital size, patient satisfaction rates, overall hospital rating, and opportunities for professional growth.

Methodology

In drawing up this list, several factors were taken into account. They include:

Must be a Magnet Recognition Program hospital as designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Currently, only 378 out of the 6,000 hospitals in the US are Magnet hospitals. This denotes an institution that “provides nursing excellence and to disseminate successful nursing practices and strategies.”
Hospitals must not have more than 499 beds, as that is the cap to be considered mid-sized
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Patient Survey score (this survey measures a patient’s perspective on the quality of care they received. All hospitals listed have a score of five, the highest score possible)
Has a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), denoting a high-quality level compared to other hospitals
Has a nurse residency or fellowship program, ideally one for nurse practitioners, although ones with programs for just RNs were also included, as this shows a commitment to career development

The List

Here are the seven hospitals that met our stringent requirements and are, according to our research, the best small and mid-sized hospitals for nurse practitioners:

Scripps Green Hospital – La Jolla, CA

Located in beautiful La Jolla, California, Scripps Green Hospital is a 173-bed facility known for its excellence in patient care. Despite its smaller size, this hospital is recognized for a broad array of services, including its top-rated heart surgery, orthopedic procedures, and organ transplantation.

For nurse practitioners, this hospital offers unparalleled opportunities due to its unique patient cases. At the same time, the small size promotes a collaborative and intimate working environment, fostering close ties among the medical staff. The hospital is committed to continuous learning, demonstrated by its robust education and training programs, providing ample opportunities for professional growth.

Mayo Clinic Hospital – Phoenix, AZ

The Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, is a 368-bed facility renowned for its patient-centered approach and strong commitment to medical research and education. While providing a wide range of services, this mid-sized hospital maintains an environment that facilitates personal attention and care.

For nurse practitioners, the Mayo Clinic presents an opportunity to work on diverse medical cases, enhancing their expertise and knowledge. To help nurse practitioners gain additional skills, this hospital offers fellowships in family medicine and cardiology. The hospital’s dedication to cutting-edge medical research and innovative treatments also provides nurse practitioners with ongoing opportunities for learning and professional growth. Mayo Clinic’s high patient satisfaction rates reflect the superior quality of care provided, contributing to a rewarding work environment for its staff.

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano, TX

With just 160 beds, the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Plano, Texas, is one of the top hospitals for nurse practitioners. Despite its mid-size, the hospital provides a comprehensive range of services and is notably recognized for its excellence in heart and vascular services, orthopedics, spine surgery, and cancer services.

Nurse practitioners here will find this an excellent place to work due to the opportunity to offer personalized care and the diverse medical cases they encounter, allowing them to broaden their skills and expertise. This hospital boasts a comprehensive nurse residency program to help RNs transition to their first career or learn a new skill. This hospital is particularly excellent for nurse practitioners interested in surgery, although there are positions for almost every specialty.

Hospital for Special Surgery – New York, NY

The Hospital for Special Surgery, located in bustling New York, NY, is a dedicated 215-bed hospital specializing in orthopedics and rheumatology. The hospital prides itself on its commitment to continuous learning, with a robust range of training programs for its staff. This commitment and its substantial patient volume make it an enriching environment for nurse practitioners to grow and thrive professionally.

This hospital has three dedicated nurse residency programs, including a perioperative one. Due to the number of surgeries performed at this hospital, it can be an excellent place for a nurse anesthetist or surgical nurse practitioner to thrive.

Mather Hospital – Port Jefferson, NY

Port Jefferson, a town of just under 8,000 on Long Island, New York, is home to Mather Hospital- Port Jefferson. This 248-bed community hospital serves the surrounding communities and is recognized as a leader in quality patient care.

Since Mather is a teaching hospital, nurse practitioners here will have the opportunity to be forever learners and mentor and teach students who perform their rotations here. They also have a graduate nursing residency program for new nurses transitioning to their first job, demonstrating their commitment to continuing education and skill building. Since this hospital is more general than specialized, nurse practitioners can expect a well-rounded caseload with lots of variety.

New England Baptist Hospital – Boston, MA

New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts is a teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine. They have 141 beds and primarily focus on orthopedics, allowing nurse practitioners to develop their expertise in this specialty. There are also many opportunities to work in non-ortho fields, including family medicine, primary care, allergy, and gastroenterology.

Due to its small size, this hospital has a very intimate feel. There is a strong commitment at this hospital to continuing education development opportunities, which they offer as part of the more extensive Beth Israel Lahey Health system.

Mayo Clinic Florida – Jacksonville, FL

Known for transplant surgery, epilepsy care, emergency department, and advanced cardiac and neurosurgery facilities, Mayo Clinic Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, offers nurse practitioners various specialties. This hospital has 304 beds and is on the larger size for a mid-sized hospital, but still is small enough to foster collaboration easily.

This facility offers a nurse practitioner critical care fellowship where, over a year, nurse practitioners will attend classes and gain direct patient care experience in critical care. Only two fellows are accepted yearly, so this program is very competitive.

Kimmy Gustafson

Writer

Among her many diverse writing endeavors, Kimmy Gustafson has also lent her expertise to NPSchools.com since 2020, providing insightful and engaging content about the significant role of education in shaping our future generations of nurse practitioners. Many of her pieces include interviewing experts on timely topics such as healthcare workplace violence and moral distress.

Kimmy has been a freelance writer for more than a decade, writing hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics such as startups, nonprofits, healthcare, kiteboarding, the outdoors, and higher education. She is passionate about seeing the world and has traveled to over 27 countries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. When not working, she can be found outdoors, parenting, kiteboarding, or cooking.