Highlands Behavioral Health System
Health system in Highlands Ranch, CO
- Sign-on bonus up to $10,000 on 3 roles
- Hiring days and rotating
- New grads welcome on 2 roles
From 3 postings and nurse reviews · Employer research Jul 28, 2026Sources
The short version
You would be a Behavioral Health RN at Highlands Behavioral Health System, an 86-bed acute care psychiatric hospital at 8565 S Poplar Way in Littleton, Colorado.
Employer research, Jul 28, 2026
Day and night Behavioral Health RN postings explicitly welcome new grads into this 86-bed acute psychiatric hospital in Littleton.
For new gradsSources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.comPosted RN Behavioral Health pay runs $38.87–$58.31 an hour with shift differentials, plus up to a $10,000 sign-on on days and a $10,000 retention bonus.
For experienced nursesSources
As of 2026Source: facebook.comDays run as 12-hour shifts 7am–7:30pm with rotating weekends; nights are also posted, and RNs note flexible hours and OT pickup.
For experienced nursesSources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Who it fits
Best fit
- New grads: 2 of 3 roles welcome new grads
- Psych nurses: all 3 roles
Nursing here
- Tuition support
Tuition support referenced on facility social post
Highlands Behavioral Health System · employer research
Sources
As of 2026Source: facebook.com- Scheduling
12-hour day shifts 7am-7:30pm with rotating weekends; flexible hours and OT pickup noted by RN review; nights role also posted
Highlands Behavioral Health System · employer research
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Benefits
Full-time nights posting lists medical, dental, vision, retirement, and PTO; facility social posts mention tuition support, sign-on, referral, and shift/weekend differentials.
Published pay and benefits
- Hourly pay
RN Behavioral Health (Nights), new grads welcome; pay range $38.87-$58.31/hr with shift differentials
As of 2026
- Hourly pay
RN Behavioral Health Days; pay range $38.87-$58.31 per hour with shift differentials
As of 2026
- Shift pay
Shift and weekend pay differentials mentioned by facility social post
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
Up to $10,000 sign-on bonus for Registered Nurse Behavioral Health Days
As of 2026
- Sign-on bonus
Sign-on bonuses and referral bonuses mentioned on facility social post
As of 2026
Sources
- Benefits
Retention bonus of $10,000 for RNs
As of 2026
The units
Behavioral Health / Acute Psychiatric
Employer posting describes an 86-bed acute care psychiatric hospital in Littleton, CO for RN Behavioral Health roles.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedBehavioral Health / Psychiatric
allnurses lists CMS staffing grade D, RN per bed 0.44, nursing HPPD 2.4, daily census 56, occupancy ~64-62%.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: allnurses.comBehavioral Health units (BHT/RN)
Indeed review states facility severely understaffed; one BHT and one nurse often cover an entire unit.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: indeed.com
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Overall poor employee ratings
- Glassdoor overall about 1.9/5 from 43 reviews; only ~12% would recommend; low scores for management and culture.
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com- Understaffing and burnout
- RN review cites understaffing and burnout while praising flexible hours and OT; BHT review says facility is going downhill and understaffed.
Sources
- Indeed overall ratings low
- Indeed overall 2.4/5 from 71 reviews; work-life 2.6, pay/benefits 2.5, management 2.1, culture 2.2.
Sources
As of 2026Source: indeed.com
More review themes
- Severe unit understaffing
- Recent BHT review describes one BHT and one nurse covering a whole unit and calls the job very difficult.
Sources
As of 2026Source: indeed.com- Positive patient population and coworkers
- Acute care psych RN review likes coworkers, patient population, knowledgeable staff, central location, and work-life balance.
Sources
As of 2020Source: indeed.com- Nurse-BHT role tension
- Former BHT says nurses treat techs poorly while techs do more direct patient work.
Sources
As of 2025Source: glassdoor.com- Salary negotiable for some roles
- Director review notes ability to negotiate salary with effort.
Sources
As of 2025Source: glassdoor.com
The hard parts
Staffing is thin—CMS staffing grade D with about 0.44 RN per bed and 2.4 HPPD, and recent reviews describe one nurse and one BHT covering a whole unit, with Glassdoor around 1.9/5 and Indeed around 2.4/5.
What to ask
- How is base pay set for the role, and which differentials apply?
- When would a sign-on bonus have to be repaid?
- Which shifts are open, and what are the weekend, holiday and call rules?
- How long is orientation, and will I have one preceptor?
- What is the usual patient load, and how often do nurses float?
- Which hospital or site, and which unit, would I work on?
Living in Highlands Ranch, CO
Highlands Ranch offers nurses a quiet, master-planned home base structured into four residential quadrants. With C-470 connecting directly to Lone Tree and Denver Tech Center facilities, local commutes average roughly 22 minutes. Post-shift, decompress across 70 miles of connected trails, four standout community recreation centers, and the southern 8,200-acre Backcountry Wilderness Area.
Browse roles in Highlands Ranch- State price level · Colorado
- 3% above the national average
- State index 103.1 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $2,531/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $159,307/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Common questions
Does Highlands Behavioral Health System hire new grads?
2 of 3 roles welcome new grads.
Is there a sign-on bonus?
Yes, on all 3 roles, up to $10,000.
Which shifts are open?
Of the 3 roles with a stated shift, 2 are day shifts and 1 is a rotating shift.
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Highlands Behavioral Health System, and we tell you what happens next.
Roles from Highlands Behavioral Health System
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- Rotating shift
- New grads welcomed
- Sign-on bonus
- LPN
- 12-hour shifts (7am - 7:30pm); rotating weekends required
- Tuition reimbursement
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- 12-hour days
- +$4/hr differential
Sources
- allnurses.com/hospitals/colorado/littleton/highlands-behavioral-health-system-r794
Nursing here, The hard parts · as of 2026 · 2025
- facebook.com/highlandshospitalsocial/posts/empathetic-knowledgeable-energetic-and-honest-raise-your-hand-if-thats-you-highl/2070213426462166
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Highlands-Behavioral-Health-System-E868656-RVW32570433.htm
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Highlands-Behavioral-Health-System-Reviews-E868656.htm
What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Highlands-Behavioral-Health-System-E868656-RVW97144377.htm
What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2025
- indeed.com/cmp/Highlands-Behavioral-Health-System/reviews
Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026
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