Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

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Amount of current revolving borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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The item represents the amount by which the maximum borrowing capacity of a credit facility could be expanded if an attached accordion feature were exercised.

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Debt Instrument, Variable Interest Rate, Reference Rate, Basis Points

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This element represents the number of years a debt maturity may be optionally extended beyond the current maturity.

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Number of Term Loans

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Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying amount of debt identified as being convertible into another form of financial instrument (typically the entity's common stock) as of the balance sheet date, which originally required full repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the company.

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The carrying amount of the equity component of convertible debt which may be settled in cash upon conversion.

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The price per share of the conversion feature embedded in the debt instrument.

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Ratio applied to the conversion of debt instrument into equity with equity shares divided by debt principal amount.

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The number of equity instruments that the holder of the debt instrument would receive if the debt was converted to equity.

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Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Amount of debt issuance costs (for example, but not limited to, legal, accounting, broker, and regulatory fees).

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Fixed interest rate related to the interest rate derivative.

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Additional shares included in the calculation of diluted EPS as a result of the potentially dilutive effect of convertible debt securities using the if-converted method.

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Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

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Amount of the contractual principal due at the origination of the mortgage loan (face amount).

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Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=nhi_BickfordSeniorLivingMember
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Name:	nhi_PropertyLocationAxis=nhi_MiddletownOHMember
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Debt (Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
Debt (Narrative) (Details)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) properties $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2014 shares	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) properties shares number_of_loans $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) shares	Jan. 15, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Liabilities Assumed				$ 686,000	$ 2,623,000
Unsecured Debt	$ 250,000,000					$ 250,000,000			$ 250,000,000
Proceeds from convertible senior notes			$ 200,000,000			0	$ 200,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 800,000,000					$ 800,000,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Ratio						13.926
Convertible Debt Instrument, Conversion Ratio, Principal Amount, Basis						$ 1,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price \| $ / shares	$ 71.81					$ 71.81
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Number of Equity Instruments \| shares						2,785,200
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Conversion of Debt Securities \| shares						6,314	0
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted \| shares	37,583,141	33,088,570				37,611,841	33,087,029
Convertible Debt	$ 193,859,000		192,238,000			$ 193,859,000			193,037,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Carrying Amount of Equity Component			$ 7,762,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	3.90%					3.90%
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	$ 12,153,000					$ 12,153,000			11,491,000
Debt Instrument, Variable Interest Rate, Reference Rate, Basis Points	1900.00%					1900.00%
Credit Facility, Current Revolving Borrowing Capacity	$ 550,000,000					$ 550,000,000
Credit Facility Expansion Amount	$ 250,000,000					$ 250,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage						4000.00%
Number of Real Estate Properties \| properties	179					179
Debt Instrument, Name, Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.25%					3.25%
Debt Issuance Cost						$ 6,063,000
Unamortized Debt Issuance Expense	$ 4,393,000					$ 4,393,000
Debt Instrument, Name, Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Maturity, Extension Option, Number Of Years						1 year
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						15000.00%
Unused balance of the unsecured revolving credit facility	333,000,000					$ 333,000,000
Debt Instrument Name, $130m Term Loan - June 2020 Maturity [Member]
Term Loans, Outstanding Balance	130,000,000					$ 130,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						17500.00%
Debt Instrument Name, $120m Term Loans - June 2020 Maturity [Member]
Term Loans, Outstanding Balance	$ 120,000,000					$ 120,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						17500.00%
Number of Term Loans	2					2
Debt Instrument, Prior to Amendment [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 700,000,000					$ 700,000,000
Debt Instrument, Name, Fannie Mae Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument, Term						10 years
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Face Amount of Mortgages	78,084,000					$ 78,084,000
Secured Debt	$ 78,084,000					$ 78,084,000			0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.79%					3.79%
Number of Real Estate Properties	13					13
Debt Instrument, Name, HUD Mortgages [Member]
Secured Debt	$ 45,201,000					$ 45,201,000			$ 45,689,000
Number of Real Estate Properties \| properties	10					10
Debt Instrument, HUD Mortgages, 2049 Maturity [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans \| number_of_loans						9
8-Year Private Placement Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Term						8 years
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate	3.99%					3.99%
Unsecured Debt								$ 125,000,000
12-Year Private Placement Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Term						12 years
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate	4.51%					4.51%
Unsecured Debt	$ 100,000,000					$ 100,000,000
Debt Instrument, HUD Mortgages, 2047 Maturity [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans \| number_of_loans						1
Interest Rate Swap, Date Entered, March 2014 [Member]
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	3.91%					3.91%
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 130,000,000					$ 130,000,000
Interest Rate Swap, Date Entered, May 2012 [Member]
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	3.29%					3.29%
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 40,000,000					$ 40,000,000
Interest Rate Swap, Date Entered, June 2013 [Member]
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	3.86%					3.86%
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 80,000,000					$ 80,000,000
Allocated to Debt [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Name, Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Issuance Cost						5,788,000
Allocated to Equity [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Name, Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Issuance Cost						$ 275,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Period, After Year 1 [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Name, HUD Mortgages [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Interest Rate						4.30%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Period, After Year 1 [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Name, HUD Mortgages [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Interest Rate						4.40%
Bickford Senior Living [Member]
Number of Real Estate Properties	32					32
Middletown, OH [Member] \| Bickford Senior Living [Member]
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Liabilities Assumed						$ 7,764,000
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Noncash Financial or Equity Instrument Consideration, Rate						2.90%
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Debt Assumed						$ 9,359,000