In this article, I will discuss what the Baylor shift means, along with some of the pros and cons of working in the Baylor shift.
if you decidework a Baylor shiftis something you want to do, be sure to check out the NurseMoneyTalk job board for jobs that offer the Baylor shift as an option.
What does Baylor shift mean?
With a Baylor shift schedule, originally developed at Baylor University Medical Center, nurses work two or three weekend shifts of 12 hours each, but are paid for even more hours than they work. In addition, they generally receive the same benefits as full-time employees.
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How does the Baylor shift plan work?
The Baylor shift schedule is used to find sufficientnurses to fill weekend shiftsin hospitals. In return, these nurses are paid either a full work week or 8 to 12 hours more than they worked. Most often, they receive full-time benefits, including health and dental insurance and vacation time.
The original Baylor plan had nurses work two 12-hour shifts, but paid them for 32 hours instead of the 24 they worked.
One option seen more often these days is three 12-hour shifts, where nurses are paid for 40 hours instead of the 36 they worked.
At other facilities, Baylor nurses are allowed to schedule themselves within certain guidelines.
Nurses hired under this type of weekend schedule must be between Friday morning and a specified end time, e.g. B. Monday or Tuesday morning, work a certain number of hours. Of course, each facility creates their own policies that work best for them.
The key component of this plan is the weekend hours.
Although these nurses can often pick up extra weekday hours to fill in for a colleague or to earn a little extra, they mostly work solid weekend shifts, allowing other nurses on the floor to work mostly weekdays.
The Story of the Baylor Shift
TheBaylor layerbegan in 1981 at Baylor University Medical Center in Texas after a severe nursing shortage developed. Nurse recruitment was difficult at the time, and the nursing administration even turned to foreign recruitment options to meet hospital needs.
However, after noticing a unique weekend work schedule being used at a rubber plant in Ohio, management decided to try the same idea at BUMC and found great success.
In the first study, nurses worked two days on weekends but were paid for three.
Amazingly, these shifts added only $5 per patient day to the facility's operating costs. Even better, nurse turnover has decreased, job satisfaction has increased, and dozens of vacancies have been filled almost immediately.
The plan quickly spread to many other hospitals across the United States and even Canada, Egypt and England.
Where are Baylor layers used?
Not all hospitals use Baylor shifts today. In fact, depending on the region of the country in which you practice, you may never see a Baylor shift advertised on your institution's job board.
Today, most of these shifts continue to be offered in Texas and surrounding states, as well as parts of the Midwest. You don't usually find that many on the west coast.
Why do hospitals use Baylor shifts?
As I'm sure you already know, most hospitals don't give away money for nothing, so they usually feel pressured to offer a Baylor shift position.
These plans are most commonly used when the hospital is struggling to recruit nurses and is willing to pay a premium to fill difficult weekend hours.
In addition, a hospital may use Baylor shifts if it has high nurse turnover or low job satisfaction among its nurses. Most nurseswho are working weekendsfind that the pros far outweigh the cons and are happy to stick with it for the extra cash.
Pros and cons of Baylor layers
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If you're like me, I'm sure you'll want to weigh the pros and cons of potentially changing your usual working hours.
For most people, Baylor shifts do more good than bad, and I've noticed the following benefits in those I work with.
- Higher paycheck
- full-time benefits
- No weekday hours
- Great relationship between the caregivers who often work together
- Relaxed atmosphere for most weekend shifts
- Improved ability to schedule appointments and run errands during weekday hours
- Ability to attend school during the week
However, as with any good thing, there are always some downsides.
- Very few free weekends a year
- Difficulty maintaining a social life at weekends
- Difficulty finding someone to cover a shift
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Who Can Benefit Most From the Baylor Shift?
The Baylor shift works very well for a wide range of caregivers, especially those looking for a level of consistency in their lives.
In particular, it's great for students who need to free their weekdays for classes and who want to pull in a full-time paycheck without putting in full-time hours.
Parents of young children who take over another parent at the weekend can also benefit greatly.
Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed the straight-forward weekend shifts I worked, loving the low-key feel on the floor and relaxed approach that most doctors take on Saturday and Sunday rounds. There is usually less to do with patients and more time to focus on the details of patient care.
I've noticed that these types of jobs go by quickly once they're advertised, and some facilities have nurses on a waiting list to get this type of plan.
This plan is clearly one that benefits the nurse the most, although the facility also appreciates finding a supply of dedicated weekend nurses.
Today, especially many nursesnewly graduated people, are not even aware of what a Baylor shift is. If they're offered this position in an interview, they may not know if it's a good fit for their busy lives.
However, I believe most nurses will love the extra money this plan gives them. In addition, they can always switch to a new position in a year or two if the working hours become inconvenient.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what the Baylor shift is...is it a schedule you're interested in? - Why or why not? Let us know below.
As a side note, if the Baylor layer looks like this is the kind of layer you want to work with, then you shouldSee what Baylor Shift Nursing jobs are availableat the job fair.
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frequently asked Questions
What does Baylor payment mean?
A Baylor plan is a hospital incentive plan that pays a nurse who works 36 hours on weekends as if she worked 40 hours. It is used as a recruitment tactic and hospitals have variations of it.
How does the Baylor layer work?
You get paid extra for a Baylor shift when you work a set number of shifts. An example would be working 12 hour shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Even though it's only 36 hours, you would get paid for 40 hours.