The Top 10 Hospitals For Nurses In NYC

New York City has some of the best hospitals in the country, and that makes it one of the strongest markets in the country for a nursing career. The ranking below draws on patient-experience data from the HCAHPS patient survey and the American Hospital Association's annual report on hospital payroll, admissions, and personnel. Hospitals are ranked on overall patient experience, admissions per staff member, and total payroll per staff member. Figures reflect data accessed June 2021, so treat them as a snapshot of that period.

Registered nurse salary, New York City metro area

$94,920 average annual salary, $45.63 average hourly. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021.

Best hospitals for nurses in NYC

1. Lenox Hill Hospital

Lenox Hill Hospital is a magnet hospital in the Northwell Health system, consistently rated among the best for heart and lung conditions. It has a long history of firsts in medicine, including the first physical therapy department. Its Center for Maternal-Fetal Medicine is a Center of Excellence, which makes it appealing for obstetrics nursing.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 87
• Nurse Communication Score: 90
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 83
• Personnel: 5,754
• Payroll: $759,376,000

2. New York-Presbyterian Hospital

New York-Presbyterian Hospital is an academic medical center and magnet hospital affiliated with two Ivy League schools, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Weill Cornell Medicine. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks it among the best hospitals in the country and often the best in NYC. Its facilities include a behavioral health center and a children's hospital, and it delivers roughly 15,000 babies a year.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 89
• Nurse Communication Score: 91
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 82
• Personnel: 26,045
• Payroll: $3,130,235,364

3. Hospital for Special Surgery

The Hospital for Special Surgery is a specialty hospital for orthopedics and rheumatology, the oldest orthopedic hospital in the country and nationally ranked for orthopedics, rheumatology, and pediatric orthopedics. Alongside the flagship in NYC, it has facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida. It is a magnet hospital and earned its first magnet designation in 2002.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 95
• Nurse Communication Score: 95
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 90
• Personnel: 5,325
• Payroll: $578,600,000

4. Mount Sinai Hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital is a health system formed in the 2013 merger of Mount Sinai Medical Center and Continuum Health Partners. It includes the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, eight hospital campuses, and outpatient facilities with 13 standalone joint-venture centers. It handles roughly 500,000 emergency department visits a year, which makes it a strong option for critical care nursing.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 87
• Nurse Communication Score: 89
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 81
• Personnel: 10,729
• Payroll: $1,139,068,000

5. NYU Langone Medical Center

NYU Langone Medical Center has six inpatient facilities and nursing roles across many additional locations. It is an academic medical center and the site of many medical advances. The Kimmel Pavilion, a digitally integrated facility, and the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine make it a strong fit for nurses interested in the future of medicine. It is also a magnet hospital.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 89
• Nurse Communication Score: 92
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 85
• Personnel: 22,269
• Payroll: $2,159,640,400

6. Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Mount Sinai Beth Israel, part of the Mount Sinai Health System, sits on the Lower East Side. It is a strong option for alternative and complementary medicine, especially substance misuse, psychiatric disorders, pain management, and palliative care. It is home to the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy and offers acupuncture among its complementary treatments.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 83
• Nurse Communication Score: 89
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 78
• Personnel: 5,211
• Payroll: $379,751,000

7. Bellevue Hospital Center

Bellevue Hospital Center, part of NYC Health + Hospitals, runs a level I trauma center with treatment in cardiology, neurology, toxicology, and neonatology, making it attractive for emergency nursing. It is the designated medical facility for many U.S. and international officials, including the President of the United States and United Nations diplomats.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 84
• Nurse Communication Score: 85
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 76
• Personnel: 4,193
• Payroll: $364,326,684

8. Metropolitan Hospital Center

The Metropolitan Hospital Center, also known as NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, is one of the smaller hospitals on this list. Located in Harlem, it is part of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. It is a recognized Patient Centered Medical Home, focused on overall wellness rather than mostly episodic acute care.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 86
• Nurse Communication Score: 86
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 80
• Personnel: 1,774
• Payroll: $144,378,640

9. Mount Sinai West

Mount Sinai St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, now Mount Sinai West, is part of the Mount Sinai system. It holds certification in total hip and knee replacement, is a level III perinatal center and a primary stroke center, and ranks among the best for hand surgery. Like many Mount Sinai hospitals, it is a teaching hospital for the Icahn School of Medicine.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 86
• Nurse Communication Score: 89
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 78
• Personnel: N/A
• Payroll: N/A

10. VA New York Harbor Healthcare System

The VA New York Harbor Healthcare System runs three hospitals in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, plus clinics in Harlem and Staten Island. It was named to the Hospitals & Health Networks Most Wireless list, a plus for nurses who want to work with current technology. It holds multiple accreditations, including FDA accreditation for mammography and accreditation for its human research protection program.

• Overall Patient Experience Score: 87
• Nurse Communication Score: 89
• Staff Responsiveness Score: 80
• Personnel: N/A
• Payroll: N/A

Methodology

This ranking combines data from HCAHPS and the AHA, accessed June 22, 2021.

The HCAHPS patient survey is a random survey of recently discharged hospital patients. They answer questions on nurse communication, staff responsiveness, facility cleanliness, transition of care, and communication about medications. Sample size per hospital ranges from 290 to 3,876, with a median of 650.

The AHA surveys more than 6,200 hospitals each year on patient satisfaction, readmissions, mortality, and quality, and provides data on hospital personnel and payroll. Hospitals were ranked on overall patient experience score, average annual admissions divided by total personnel, and total payroll divided by total personnel.