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Share-Based Compensation (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Sep. 30, 2014
May 31, 2012
May 31, 2005
Share-based compensation expense $ 2,020,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 2,339,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 2,168,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense      
Weighted Average Fair Value Per Share, Options granted $ 4.93us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 6.41us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue $ 6.36us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue      
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years), Options outstanding 3 years 4 months 28 days          
Number of Shares Authorized, Available to Issue and Outstanding 1,647,306us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized          
Unrecognized compensation cost       366,943us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized    
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Options exercised 465,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue 1,084,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue 5,527,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue      
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Per Share, Options exercised $ 15.51nhi_AggregateIntrinsicValuePerShareOptionsexercised $ 19.71nhi_AggregateIntrinsicValuePerShareOptionsexercised $ 8.67nhi_AggregateIntrinsicValuePerShareOptionsexercised      
2012 Plan [Member]            
Shares available for grants 755,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandTwelveStockOptionPlanMember
      1,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandTwelveStockOptionPlanMember
 
Stock Option Plan, Award Vesting Period 5 years          
Common stock on date granted term period, years 10nhi_IncentiveStockOptionGrantedTermPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandTwelveStockOptionPlanMember
         
Weighted Average Fair Value Per Share, Options granted $ 4.93us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandTwelveStockOptionPlanMember
         
2005 Plan [Member]            
Shares available for grants 20,635us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandFiveStockOptionPlanMember
        1,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandFiveStockOptionPlanMember
Stock Option Plan, Award Vesting Period 10 years          
Common stock on date granted term period, years 10nhi_IncentiveStockOptionGrantedTermPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_TwoThousandFiveStockOptionPlanMember
         
Expected To Be Recognized During 2015 [Member]            
Unrecognized compensation cost 330,619us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_ExpectedToBeRecognizedDuring2015Member
         
Expected To Be Recognized During 2016 [Member]            
Unrecognized compensation cost $ 36,324us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= nhi_ExpectedToBeRecognizedDuring2016Member