What's the Baylor Program?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

When I worked the Baylor Plan, I would work two 16 hour shifts every weekend and be paid for a 40 hour work week. I also worked at another facility where I did two 12 hour shifts every weekend and got paid for 32 hours.

Under the Baylor Plan, you work 24 hours and get paid for 32, or you can work 32 while being paid for 40 hours.

Lacie, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

I worked under the baylor plan in kentucky in which I did 16hr shifts back to back days on either Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sundays. Mostly evening and night shift back to back. I truly like this and would have loved to continue but when I hit my 9th month of preganancy Dr. said NO MORE! I would do it again in a minute if found the apporunity to do so.

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

I worked Sat and Sun 12 hour days and got paid for 36.

Nice work if you can get it.

nkara, CNA · Oct 19, 2009

I worked Sat and Sun 12 hour days and got paid for 36.
Nice work if you can get it.

that's how it is where I work but they have done away with it. Few RN's are grandfathered in and if they leave it they don't get it back.

mamamerlee, LPN · Oct 19, 2009

It was started back in the early 80's as a stop-gap measure in reaction to the first bad nursing shortage. Most hospitals did 2 12's or 2 16's, and gave fulltime benefits.

EmergencyNrse · Oct 19, 2009

Baylor is as people have described but the "True Baylor Programs" are for an every weekend commitment. Unless you enjoy a set schedule and have children that you have to be with during the week just this word of caution if you ever consider a Baylor Program:

The ENTIRE world does everything on the weekends. The extra pay and incentives are not enough to give up ALL your weekends. Eventually you will want/need to take a Saturday or a Sunday to go to an event somewhere. Baylor is pretty strict and requires a contract that binds you to every weekend but 2 each year. Sometimes it's not enough to get your shift covered... you are penalized sometimes. A wedding, a funeral, a visit from family... doesn't matter. You will be @ the hospital when everyone else is getting together.

For me it was brutal. I did it. I was in school was the reason why I tried it but that year couldn't go by fast enough.

MedSurgeMess · Oct 19, 2009

My dh (not in any medical profession) works weekends only at his job, so it works perfectly for me....we both get paid 40 hrs, work days on Sat and Sun (6a-6p) and can work our lives around everyone else. For me, there is no other way!

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

I do two 16 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday. It's great however, if you ever want to take a day off, you lose what they call the Baylor pay for the entire two weeks though they do pay you normal overtime.

mamamerlee, LPN · Oct 19, 2009

Many hospitals used to require a 6 month commitment with one weekend off during that time. I don't remember what happened if you were sick, had a funeral, etc. I worked at a place that gave double the shift differential if you agreed to 'permanent' eves or nocs, again with a 6 month contract. Any time you took off during that time was paid with the diff, as well. Too much time off was a reason for them to drop your contract. I did one 6-month stint of nights.

admorn03 · Oct 19, 2009

I work every weekend at my current job. We call it the weekender program but Baylor program is the ususal term. I do have to work every weekend. I get 2 weekends off per year, two paid and two unpaid. PTO accurs very slowly. I am allowed sick pay as well. It is really nice for me at this time, because I work nights Friday and Saturday 12 hour shifts, full benefits, with weekend and night differential, as well as getting paid for 36 hours. I spend time with my kids on Sunday. Yes I miss out on the get togethers on Saturday but I would rather be with my kids any way. So far I have been doing it for a year and a half, and it has worked out great. I work as needed at my former job at a clinic, but other wise if my kids have field trips or other things going on at their schools I can be home if they or the school needs me. So far so good.

Working during the week I missed out on field trips and other things at their schools, because as we all know schools give parents almost zero notice when a trip is coming up or something else is going on at the school that the kids would like for me to come to. this way I don't have to ask to leave work early, go in late or ask for the whole day off at the last minute.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Oct 19, 2009

I work 2 12's and get paid for 40, though my FTE status is 0.67. If I take off one shift, they take out 20 hours of PDO. I accrue PDO at 2/3 the rate of a 1.0 FTE. I can take off 3 weekends a year (paid) if I have the PDOs to do it. Calling in sick doesn't count in the 3 weekends a year off.

It works out nicely. I can pay my bills on just my income. I'm home during the week with the wee one. It sucks to miss social events etc. on the weekend but I'm not a big social butterfly anyway.