LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL
Specialty Hospital · Waukegan, IL
- 1
- open role, live count
- 146
- beds
On the floor
What the day-to-day looks like
- Setting
- Specialty Hospital
- Shifts hiring now
- Days 1
Benefits
Weekend Baylor A&R RN posting offers 100% employer-paid benefits or additional pay if you opt out; $2,500 sign-on and shift differentials up to $6/hr also listed for that role.
What stands out
Experienced nurses
On the Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN track you work Fri 10:00am–6:30pm plus Sat/Sun 7:00am–7:30pm, with shift differentials up to $6 more hourly.
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Experienced nurses
That same Weekend Baylor A&R posting carries a $2,500 sign-on bonus for full-time permanent hires.
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Experienced nurses
You can take 100% employer-paid benefits or choose additional pay if you opt out on the Weekend Baylor A&R role.
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Experienced nurses
As an A&R RN you assess admissions, take physician orders, and complete med reconciliation while working largely on your own.
More about working here
Moving here
You would join a 146-bed, four-floor psychiatric hospital at 2615 W Washington St in Waukegan with adult, adolescent, dual-diagnosis, women’s, and medical detox programming.
As of 2026Source 1: lakebehavioralhospital.comSource 2: allnurses.comSource 3: lakebehavioralhospital.com
New graduates
Some staff still describe supportive coworkers even when broader culture and training feel thin.
Experienced nurses
The hospital runs free mental health screenings around the clock and has been open as an acute psych and addiction facility since March 2018.
As of 2026Source 1: lakebehavioralhospital.comSource 2: lakebehavioralhospital.comSource 3: allnurses.comSource 4: glassdoor.com
Working conditions
- Scheduling
- Weekend Baylor A&R RN: Fri 8-hr 10:00am-6:30pm plus Sat/Sun 12-hr 7:00am-7:30pm; 12-hour shifts noted.
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
- Pay and benefits
- $2,500 Sign-On Bonus for Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN (FT permanent)
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
- Pay and benefits
- Shift differentials up to $6.00 more hourly for Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
- Pay and benefits
- 100% employer-paid benefits OR additional pay if opt-out for Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Starting out and growing here
- Preceptors and orientation
- Employees report insufficient training and development opportunities, leaving staff feeling unprepared and overworked.
Who they are
You would be walking into Lake Behavioral Hospital, a 146-bed psychiatric hospital on West Washington Street in Waukegan, open since March 2018. The building is four floors and about 88,000 square feet, with outdoor courtyards, activity therapy space, and open corridors.
- Specialty Hospital · Waukegan, IL
- Hiring days
- Sign-on bonus · 1 role
More about LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL
Programming covers adult mental health, adolescents, adult dual diagnosis, women’s services, and medical detox. If you take the Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN schedule, your week is Friday 10:00am–6:30pm and Saturday–Sunday 7:00am–7:30pm. That posting has listed a $2,500 sign-on, shift differentials up to $6 more hourly, and a choice between 100% employer-paid benefits or extra pay if you opt out. In A&R you assess admissions, take physician orders, and finish med reconciliation with a lot of independent work. Staffing is tight on the public snapshot—about 0.12 RN per bed—and reviews often mention thin training, understaffing, and a hard pace. Some nurses still point to supportive coworkers. CEO Cindy DeMarco received a mental health advocacy award in 2024; the hospital also runs free screenings 24/7.
Utmost care through inpatient and outpatient behavioral health resources for the community.
Working here
Culture and working life
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Overall rating and recommend rate
- Glassdoor overall about 2.8/5 from 34 reviews; roughly 40% would recommend to a friend; ~70% CEO approval.
- Toxic culture and management
- Many describe unprofessional behavior, poor communication, favoritism, lack of upper-management support, and chaotic expectations.
- Supportive coworkers
- Some employees value supportive coworkers despite broader culture concerns.
More review themes
- Understaffing and work-life balance
- Reports of being understaffed with little break time and a demanding pace harming well-being.
- Public reputation among local nurses
- Local Reddit thread called the Waukegan inpatient psych hospital criminally horrible and cited very low Yelp ratings.
As of 2023Source: reddit.com
- Nurse review volume on specialty board
- allnurses facility page listed no nurse culture reviews at time of scrape.
As of 2026Source: allnurses.com
What to weigh
Employees report insufficient training and development, understaffing with little break time, and Glassdoor sits around 2.8/5 with roughly 40% willing to recommend.
As of 2026Source 1: glassdoor.comSource 2: glassdoor.comSource 3: glassdoor.comSource 4: allnurses.com
The reality check
Before you decide
Quick facts
- Relationship
- Direct employer
- Roles last seen active
- Jul 1, 2026
- Website
- lakebehavioralhospital.com ↗
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A closer look at the units
Open counts come from the live roles below. Source links show where unit details were reported.
- PsychDays 11 open
Psychiatric / Behavioral Health (inpatient)
CMS Grade F staffing; 48 RNs, 3 LPN/LVN; daily census 123; 76.3% occupancy; 9.2-day ALOS; psych proprietary.
Source location unconfirmedSource: allnurses.com
Adult Mental Health inpatient
Inpatient treatment for adults with suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD, or ADHD.
Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com
Adolescent Mental Health inpatient
Inpatient mental health treatment for children/teenagers seeking to build healthy behaviors after discharge.
Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com
Adult Dual Diagnosis
Specializes in combined mental health and substance use disorder (dual diagnosis) inpatient treatment.
Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com
Assessment & Referral
A&R RN assesses/evaluates admissions, takes physician orders, completes med reconciliation; works independently.
Source location unconfirmedSource: glassdoor.com
Medical Detox / Women's services
146-bed facility added specialized programming including women’s services and medical detoxification.
Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com
Open roles
Current openings at LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL
Refreshed throughout the day.
Assessment & Referral RN (Weekend Baylor Fri. Sat. Sun.) FT
$33/hr
LAKE Behavioral HospitalWaukegan, IL
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- Day shift
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