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Nursing Mastery

LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL

Specialty hospital in Waukegan, IL

  • 146 beds
  • Sign-on bonus up to $2,500 on 1 role
  • Hiring days
See 1 open role
LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL workplace

From 1 posting, the employer’s site and nurse reviews · Employer research Jul 27, 2026Sources

The short version

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.

Employer research, Jul 27, 2026

  1. 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.

    For experienced nurses
    Sources
    As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com

  2. That same Weekend Baylor A&R posting carries a $2,500 sign-on bonus for full-time permanent hires.

    For experienced nurses
    Sources
    As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com

  3. You can take 100% employer-paid benefits or choose additional pay if you opt out on the Weekend Baylor A&R role.

    For experienced nurses
    Sources
    As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com

Nursing here

Preceptors and orientation

Employees report insufficient training and development opportunities, leaving staff feeling unprepared and overworked.

LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL · employer research

Sources
As of 2026Source 1: glassdoor.comSource 2: glassdoor.com
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.

LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL · employer research

Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com

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.

Published pay and benefits

Shift pay

Shift differentials up to $6.00 more hourly for Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN

As of 2026

Sources
Source: glassdoor.com
Sign-on bonus

$2,500 Sign-On Bonus for Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN (FT permanent)

As of 2026

Sources
Source: glassdoor.com
Benefits

100% employer-paid benefits OR additional pay if opt-out for Weekend Baylor Assessment & Referral RN

As of 2026

Sources
Source: glassdoor.com

The units

  • 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.

    Sources
    Source location unconfirmedSource: allnurses.com

  • Adult Mental Health inpatient

    Inpatient treatment for adults with suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD, or ADHD.

    Sources
    Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com

  • Adolescent Mental Health inpatient

    Inpatient mental health treatment for children/teenagers seeking to build healthy behaviors after discharge.

    Sources
    Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com

  • Adult Dual Diagnosis

    Specializes in combined mental health and substance use disorder (dual diagnosis) inpatient treatment.

    Sources
    Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com

  • Assessment & Referral

    A&R RN assesses/evaluates admissions, takes physician orders, completes med reconciliation; works independently.

    Sources
    Source location unconfirmedSource: glassdoor.com

  • Medical Detox / Women's services

    146-bed facility added specialized programming including women’s services and medical detoxification.

    Sources
    Source location unconfirmedSource: lakebehavioralhospital.com

What nurses say

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.
Sources
As of 2026Source 1: glassdoor.comSource 2: glassdoor.com
Toxic culture and management
Many describe unprofessional behavior, poor communication, favoritism, lack of upper-management support, and chaotic expectations.
Sources
As of 2026Source 1: glassdoor.comSource 2: glassdoor.com
Supportive coworkers
Some employees value supportive coworkers despite broader culture concerns.
Sources
As of 2026Source 1: glassdoor.comSource 2: glassdoor.com
More review themes
Understaffing and work-life balance
Reports of being understaffed with little break time and a demanding pace harming well-being.
Sources
As of 2026Source 1: glassdoor.comSource 2: glassdoor.com
Public reputation among local nurses
Local Reddit thread called the Waukegan inpatient psych hospital criminally horrible and cited very low Yelp ratings.
Sources
As of 2023Source: reddit.com
Nurse review volume on specialty board
allnurses facility page listed no nurse culture reviews at time of scrape.
Sources
As of 2026Source: allnurses.com

The hard parts

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?

Common questions

Is there a sign-on bonus?

Yes, on the one role, up to $2,500.

How do I apply?

Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL, and we tell you what happens next.

Current openings at LAKE BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL

LAKE Behavioral Hospital logo

LAKE Behavioral Hospital

Waukegan, IL

Assessment & Referral RN (Weekend Baylor Fri. Sat. Sun.) FT

$33–$46/hr

  • Sign-on bonus
  • RN
  • Day shift

Sources

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From nurses, to nurses

If you and your preceptor are not clicking, ask your manager to switch you. People teach and learn at different speeds. You are allowed a better fit.

an oncology nurse, a health system feature, 2021

Confidence comes slowly. You will not feel ready for a long while. Then a nurse newer than you asks you something, and you hear yourself answer it.

a nurse looking back on her first year, American Nurse Journal, 2026