UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 10, 2004 (March 10, 2004)
National Health Investors, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
333-41863	62-1470956
(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer
	Identification Number)
100 Vine Street, Suite 1202
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(615) 890-9100
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Item 5. Other Events

On March 10, 2004, National Health Investors, Inc. announced its first quarter preferred dividend. A copy of the press release is furnished as an exhibit to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	National Health Investors, Inc.
	By: /s/ W. Andrew Adams
	Name: W. Andrew Adams
	Title: Chief Executive Officer
	By:/s/ Donald K. Daniel
	Name: Donald K. Daniel
	Title: Principal Accounting Officer
Date: March 10, 2004

Exhibit Index

Number	Exhibit
99	Press release, dated March 10, 2004.

EXHIBIT 99

For Release: March 10, 2004

Contact: Gerald Coggin, V.P., Corporate Relations

Phone: (615) 890-9100

NHI to pay preferred dividend

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE, NHI and NHIPr), one of the nation's largest health care real estate investment trusts, announced today that it will pay a first quarter preferred stock dividend of 53.125 cents per share to shareholders of its cumulative convertible preferred stock on March 30.

The dividend will be paid to preferred stockholders of record on March 19. The preferred stock is expected to pay a dividend of $2.125 per share during a full calendar year. The cumulative convertible preferred stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol NHIPr. The preferred shares are convertible by holders to common stock at any time and the conversion ratio is .905 shares of common stock for each share of preferred stock.

NHI specializes in the financing of health care real estate by first mortgage and by purchase and leaseback transactions. The common and preferred stocks of the company trade on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbols NHI and NHIPr respectively. Additional information including NHI's most recent press releases may be obtained on our web site at www.nhinvestors.com.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. NHI cautions investors that any forward-looking statements made involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. All forward-looking statements represent NHI's judgment as of the date of this release.

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