35 ChatGPT Prompts for Nurse Practitioners: Documentation, Patient Comms & Diagnosis Support
Between patient visits, documentation, prior authorizations, and patient education, nurse practitioners spend an enormous amount of time on tasks that don't require clinical judgment — just time. ChatGPT can handle the heavy lifting on the writing-intensive parts of your workflow, freeing you to focus on the clinical decisions only you can make.
This guide gives you 35 specific prompts organized across five categories: SOAP notes, patient education, referral letters, clinical documentation, and administrative tasks. Each prompt is designed to produce a usable first draft — adapt it to your specialty, EHR workflow, and patient population.
Important: ChatGPT is a writing assistant, not a diagnostic tool. Always review, edit, and verify AI-generated clinical content before using it with patients or including it in medical records.
How to Use These Prompts
Add clinical context before each prompt:
Specialty: [Family Medicine / Internal Medicine / Pediatrics / etc.]
Setting: [Outpatient clinic / Urgent care / Telehealth / Hospital]
Patient age: [Adult / Pediatric / Geriatric]
The more context you provide, the more appropriate and specific the output.
Part 1: SOAP Note Prompts (7 Prompts)
SOAP note documentation is time-consuming but structured — which makes it ideal for AI assistance. These prompts give you templates and drafts you can populate with patient data.
Prompt 1 — SOAP Note Template Generator
Create a detailed SOAP note template for a [specialty] outpatient visit. Include standard sections (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) with prompts for what to document in each section. Tailor it for a [type of visit: new patient / follow-up / chronic disease management].
Prompt 2 — Subjective Section Draft
Write a Subjective section for a SOAP note. Chief complaint: [describe]. HPI: [key details — onset, location, duration, character, aggravating/relieving factors, associated symptoms]. The patient is a [age]-year-old [gender] presenting with [condition].
Prompt 3 — Assessment and Plan for Common Presentations
Write an Assessment and Plan section for a SOAP note. Diagnosis: [diagnosis]. Include: diagnostic reasoning, differential diagnoses considered, treatment plan (medications, dosing, monitoring), follow-up interval, and patient education provided. Use appropriate clinical language.
Prompt 4 — Chronic Disease Management Note
Write a SOAP note for a follow-up visit for a patient with [chronic condition: Type 2 DM / HTN / COPD / etc.]. Current medications: [list]. Today's vitals: [BP / HR / weight / A1c or relevant labs]. Concerns: [describe]. Plan: [medication adjustment / labs ordered / referral].
Prompt 5 — Acute Care SOAP Note
Draft a SOAP note for an acute care visit. Patient: [age, gender]. Chief complaint: [e.g., "fever x 3 days"]. Relevant PMH: [list]. Exam findings: [describe]. Assessment: [diagnosis]. Plan: [treatment, prescriptions, follow-up instructions].
Prompt 6 — Telehealth Visit Documentation
Write a SOAP note for a telehealth visit. Include a documentation statement that exam was performed via video. Chief complaint: [describe]. Platform used: [e.g., Zoom for Healthcare]. Note limitations of virtual exam. Diagnosis: [describe]. Plan: [describe].
Prompt 7 — Preventive Care / Annual Exam Note
Create a template for an annual preventive care SOAP note for an adult patient. Include: HPI update, preventive screening checklist (age/sex appropriate), immunization review, chronic disease management updates, counseling provided, and plan with next visit interval.
Part 2: Patient Education Prompts (7 Prompts)
Patient education materials need to be accurate, understandable (6th-grade reading level for most patients), and actionable. These prompts generate drafts you can customize.
Prompt 8 — Condition Explanation at 6th-Grade Level
Explain [condition] to a patient in plain language. Use a 6th-grade reading level. Cover: what it is, why it happens, how it affects the body, and what the patient can do to manage it. Avoid jargon. Length: 200-250 words.
Prompt 9 — Medication Education Sheet
Write a patient-friendly medication education handout for [medication name]. Include: what it treats, how to take it, common side effects, serious side effects to report immediately, drug interactions, and what to avoid. Format as a simple one-page handout.
Prompt 10 — Discharge Instructions
Write discharge instructions for a patient being discharged after treatment for [condition/procedure]. Include: activity restrictions, diet modifications, wound/incision care (if applicable), medication instructions, warning signs to watch for, and when to call the clinic or go to the ER.
Prompt 11 — Lifestyle Modification Counseling Script
Write a counseling script for a patient who needs to [lose weight / reduce sodium intake / increase physical activity / quit smoking]. Use motivational interviewing principles. Address: current barriers, small achievable goals, and a 30-day check-in plan. Tone: supportive, non-judgmental.
Prompt 12 — Vaccination Counseling Script
Write a script to counsel a hesitant patient about [vaccine]. Address common concerns: [safety / effectiveness / side effects]. Include: what the vaccine does, who should get it, real statistics on efficacy and side effects, and how to make the decision together.
Prompt 13 — Chronic Disease Self-Management Guide
Create a self-management guide for a patient newly diagnosed with [condition]. Include: daily monitoring plan, red flags that require calling the clinic, dietary guidelines, activity recommendations, medication adherence tips, and when to expect follow-up lab work.
Prompt 14 — Pediatric Parent Education Sheet
Write a parent education handout for [pediatric condition/topic: fever management / ear infection / growth milestones / etc.]. Include: what to expect, home management tips, when to call the pediatrician, and when to go to the ER. Reading level: 7th grade.
Part 3: Referral Letter Prompts (7 Prompts)
Referral letters need to be concise, clinically precise, and include all the information the receiving provider needs to see the patient efficiently.
Prompt 15 — Standard Referral Letter
Write a referral letter to a [specialty] physician for a patient with [condition]. Include: reason for referral, relevant PMH, current medications, pertinent labs/imaging results (I'll add the values), physical exam findings, and specific clinical question I need answered.
Prompt 16 — Urgent Referral Letter
Write an urgent referral letter to [specialty] for a patient presenting with [symptoms/condition]. Emphasize clinical urgency. Include: timeline of symptom progression, current vital signs, exam findings, workup completed to date, and specific reason for urgency.
Prompt 17 — Mental Health Referral Letter
Write a referral letter to a licensed mental health provider for a patient experiencing [symptoms: depression / anxiety / PTSD / etc.]. Include: duration of symptoms, PHQ-9 or GAD-7 score (I'll add the score), safety assessment findings, current medications tried, and treatment goals for the referral.
Prompt 18 — Specialist Consultation Request
Draft a consultation request letter to a [specialist] for [patient concern]. My clinical question: [specific question]. Relevant background: [PMH, current meds, recent labs]. What I've done so far: [workup completed]. Preferred timeline: [routine / urgent / within X days].
Prompt 19 — Physical Therapy Referral
Write a physical therapy referral for a patient with [musculoskeletal condition]. Include: diagnosis, functional limitations, precautions, frequency and duration of PT requested, goals of therapy, and relevant exam findings.
Prompt 20 — Referral Acknowledgment / Thank You Letter
Write a brief acknowledgment letter to a referring provider who sent a patient to me for [specialty concern]. Include: that I received and evaluated the patient, my clinical impression, my treatment plan, and plan for ongoing co-management.
Prompt 21 — Out-of-Network / Prior Auth Support Letter
Write a letter of medical necessity for [treatment / medication / procedure] for a patient with [condition]. Insurance company: [name]. Include: diagnosis codes (I'll add), clinical rationale, evidence-based guidelines supporting this treatment, and consequences of denial.
Part 4: Clinical Documentation Prompts (7 Prompts)
Beyond SOAP notes, NPs generate a lot of supporting clinical documentation. These prompts handle the most common documentation tasks.
Prompt 22 — Progress Note (Brief Follow-Up)
Write a brief progress note for a follow-up visit for a stable patient with [condition]. Format: interval history, changes since last visit, current medications, exam findings, assessment, plan. Keep it concise — under 200 words.
Prompt 23 — Prior Authorization Letter
Write a prior authorization letter for [medication / procedure / diagnostic test] for a patient with [diagnosis]. Include: clinical necessity, treatment failure history (if applicable), relevant guidelines, and patient response to current treatment. Medication/dose: [describe].
Prompt 24 — Disability/FMLA Documentation Letter
Write a letter supporting [FMLA / disability / work restriction] for a patient with [condition]. Include: diagnosis, functional limitations, expected duration of impairment, and specific restrictions (lifting, standing, travel, etc.). Tone: objective and clinical.
Prompt 25 — Return to Work / School Letter
Write a return-to-work (or school) letter for a patient recovering from [condition/illness]. Include: date of illness, date cleared to return, any activity restrictions or accommodations needed (if any), and provider contact information placeholder.
Prompt 26 — Transfer of Care Summary
Write a transfer of care summary for a patient transitioning from [inpatient / specialist] care back to primary care. Include: hospitalization or specialist visit summary, diagnoses, procedures performed, medications changed, pending results, and follow-up instructions for PCP.
Prompt 27 — Incident Report Documentation
Help me draft objective, factual language for an incident report involving [describe incident type: medication error / patient fall / adverse reaction]. Include: timeline, observations, actions taken, patient response, and follow-up steps. Stick to facts — no admission of liability.
Prompt 28 — Clinical Decision Support Prompt
I'm seeing a patient with the following presentation: [describe symptoms, age, vitals, relevant history]. I'm considering [diagnosis 1] vs [diagnosis 2]. What additional history questions, physical exam findings, and diagnostic workup should I consider to differentiate? This is for educational reference only.
Part 5: Administrative Task Prompts (7 Prompts)
Administrative burden is one of the top drivers of NP burnout. These prompts cut the time you spend on the business side of practice.
Prompt 29 — Patient Recall Message
Write a patient recall message for [preventive service: mammogram / colonoscopy / A1c check / annual exam]. Tone: friendly, non-alarming. Include: why it's due, how to schedule, and a soft deadline. Length: under 100 words. Channel: [SMS / patient portal / phone script].
Prompt 30 — Staff Communication / Clinical Memo
Write a brief clinical memo to [staff/team] about a change in [protocol / procedure / policy]. Include: what is changing, why it's changing, effective date, and who to contact with questions. Tone: professional, clear. Length: under 150 words.
Prompt 31 — Patient Complaint Response Letter
Write a professional, empathetic response letter to a patient who complained about [describe complaint: wait time / billing issue / communication breakdown]. Acknowledge their concern, explain what happened (without being defensive), and describe what we're doing to prevent it in the future.
Prompt 32 — Performance Review Self-Assessment
Help me write a self-assessment for my annual performance review as an NP in [setting]. Highlight: clinical accomplishments, quality metric improvements, patient satisfaction contributions, professional development activities, and goals for next year. Tone: confident, professional.
Prompt 33 — New Patient Welcome Letter
Write a welcome letter for new patients joining our [practice type] practice. Include: introduction to the practice, how to access the patient portal, how to schedule appointments, after-hours instructions, prescription refill policy, and who to call for urgent questions.
Prompt 34 — Grant / Proposal Introduction
Write an introduction section for a clinical quality improvement proposal for [project: reducing readmissions / improving diabetic care / implementing depression screening]. Include: problem statement, current state, proposed intervention, and expected outcomes. Length: 300 words.
Prompt 35 — Continuing Education Reflection
Write a brief reflective learning statement for a CE activity I completed on [topic]. Include: key takeaways, how I'll apply this to my practice, and one specific patient care change I plan to implement. This is for my CE portfolio. Length: 150-200 words.
The 5 Prompts Every NP Should Start With
If you implement only five prompts from this list, start here:
- Prompt 3 — Assessment & Plan drafts save 5-10 minutes per note. Across 20 patients a day, that's 2 hours back.
- Prompt 8 — Plain-language condition explanations improve patient adherence without requiring a 15-minute counseling session.
- Prompt 15 — Standardized referral letters reduce the back-and-forth with specialists.
- Prompt 23 — Prior auth letters are the single most painful documentation task. AI drafts cut the time by 60%.
- Prompt 29 — Patient recall campaigns automated with a single prompt can recover dozens of missed preventive visits monthly.
A Note on Compliance and Privacy
Never enter identifiable patient information (name, DOB, MRN, contact details) into any public AI tool. Use placeholder descriptions like "a 45-year-old male with HTN" rather than actual patient data. Check your organization's AI policy before using these tools in clinical workflows.
Want the Complete Clinical Prompt Library?
This collection is part of a larger library of 200+ prompts built specifically for healthcare providers — including templates for telehealth intakes, clinical policy writing, billing query responses, and patient outreach campaigns.
Access the full collection at pinzasrojas.gumroad.com.
Which documentation task eats the most of your time? Let us know in the comments.
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