Frequently Asked Questions
Check here for answers to many of your graduate nurse and internship questions.
Q.: Is this a paid internship?
A.: Yes. Being offered an internship with Baylor is a job offer and the beginning of your career with us. With the internship, you are eligible for full benefits beginning on Day 1.
Q.: What is a graduate nurse at Baylor?
A.: A graduate nurse at Baylor is one who has completed nurses training and has not yet taken the NCLEX to be licensed. The internship is a hands-on training period with some classroom time that allows you to smoothly transition into your career as an RN. Once you pass the NCLEX and are licensed, your title changes to RN.
Q.: After I complete my internship, will I need to apply again to be hired as an RN at Baylor?
A.: No. When you’re offered an internship, it is a job offer and the beginning of your career at Baylor. The internship is the on-the-job training period for your specialty. Once you pass the NCLEX and are licensed, you are an RN.
Q.: Do you offer visa sponsorship for GNs?
A.: We offer sponsorship on a case-by-case basis depending on our business needs.
Q.: I applied for an internship online. Now I’m getting e-mails about other internships. Did you receive my application? Why am I receiving these messages? Should I reapply?
A.: If you’re getting these e-mails, then we received your application. Our online application system sometimes generates e-mail about opportunities you might be interested in based on the profile you created in our system. This is just intended to be helpful to you. If you’re not interested in those positions, just ignore the messages. Or you can go back to your profile and uncheck any boxes about being notified about future openings.
Q.: Can I apply for more than one internship?
A.: Yes, and we recommend that you apply for all internship specialties that you’re interested in. Competition may be high for some areas, so you increase your chances by applying to more than one specialty. Because this internship will be your full-time job, don’t apply for a specialty that you’re not interested in working in.
Q.: When should I apply for an internship?
A.: Internship opportunities are posted on our web throughout the year, but they begin in January, June and August. You should check our web site around September and October for January opportunities; January and February for June openings; and June and July for September internships. Also, check our web site for career fairs and GN fairs, where you can interview with hiring managers on site.
Q.: When does the application process close?
A.: Each department determines how many RNs it can hire based on needs, so opportunities vary by hospital and unit. Hiring occurs throughout the period from when the internships are posted until they begin, so there’s no formal application deadline. Some units can fill their jobs quickly, depending on their needs. We encourage you to start applying as early as possible to increase your chances.
Q.: When do internships begin?
A.: They typically start in January, June and September. However, occasionally there are some instances when an internship can begin at other times during the year. Check in with your recruiter or watch our web site to see if something is open at other times.
Q.: How long is an internship?
A.: It varies by specialty. Some last just six weeks, while others can last up to a year. They involve bedside care and classroom training to help you transition to your nursing career with confidence. Check out our internship descriptions to see what each specialty involves.
Q.: Does Baylor have opportunities for nursing students?
A.: Occasionally we have nurse tech positions available for nursing students. Also consider applying for a patient care technician (PCT) position, which is another opportunity for student nurses and certified nurse assistants (CNAs). Keep checking our web site for these opportunities
Q.: What do I have to do to be considered for a GN internship position?
A.: Mostly all you need to do is apply online. We offer other ways for candidates to apply, such as the GN Internship Fair; however, attendance at the GN fair is not required to be considered for a position.
Q.: How do I decide what positions to apply for?
A.: Decide what is most important to you. If a particular specialty is most important to you, apply to all positions in that specialty and be flexible about what facility you want to work at. If location is most important to you, apply to several different specialties at your preferred facility.
Q.: How much can I expect to make as a GN?
A.: Base rate for a GN is $21 an hour. If you have nurse tech or externship experience, you’ll make an additional 50 cents an hour, whether your experience was with Baylor or another hospital. LVN experience is calculated on a 2-to-1 basis. Candidates who have four years of LVN experience will make what an experienced RN makes with two years of experience. In this example they would make $23.77 an hour.
Q.: Do you offer a sign-on bonus?
A.: No, we no longer offer a sign-on bonus, but we do offer $850 in NCLEX support, as well as paid time off to take the NCLEX. We pay the NCLEX cost whether you take the test before or after you begin working at Baylor.
Q.: Do you pay for existing student loans?
A.: No, we offer tuition reimbursement for continuing education once you begin working with us. We don’t reimburse you for existing student loans. However, there is a program from the federal government called the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program that could help you.
Q.: Is it true that Baylor Health Care System has a 3.0 GPA requirement for graduate nurses?
A.: Baylor is committed to education, and we do have a GPA guideline of 3.0. However, it’s a guideline, not a requirement. We will consider you based on all of your qualifications.
Q.: How do I find the graduate nurse positions online?
A.: From any nursing specialty page, go to the bottom of the page to search for open positions. Use the Job Function pull-down menu and select Nursing if it’s not already selected, select GN-Intern and then any location you prefer. Then hit Search. You can apply to any position right from the web site.
Q.: What do I need to bring to a graduate nurse internship fair?
A.: Please be sure to apply online at www.baylorhealth.com/careers before the date of the fair and to pre-register to attend the fair at www.baylorhealth.com/events. On the day of the fair, bring hard copies of your resume for the hiring managers.
Q.: Will there be on-the-spot offers at the internship fair?
A.: There is on-the-spot interviewing, but all offers are made after the fair. A recruiter will contact you after the fair about the next steps in the hiring process.
Q.: How many different internship specialties do you offer?
A.: We offer 12 different internship specialties. Information on each specialty can be found on our website.
Q.: Do you recruit for all Baylor facilities? How many facilities do you recruit for?
A.: We recruit for all Baylor Health Care System-owned facilities. We do not recruit for hospitals that we are affiliated with.
Q.: Are you affiliated with Baylor University?
A.: For about 75 years, we were affiliated with Baylor University. But that partnership ended in 1997. As a result, we are not affiliated with Baylor Medical Center in Houston, the medical facility associated with Baylor Medical School. We continue to house Baylor School of Nursing and Baylor School of Dentistry on our Dallas campus.
Q.: Do you compensate for bilingual ability?
A.: While having employees who speak other languages besides English is a big benefit in our ability to care for our patients and their families, we do not pay extra for that ability.
Q: I am a registered nurse with five years experience in oncology, but my passion is labor and delivery. Could I be considered for your perinatal internship?
A: Yes, our internships are designed for graduate nurses without experience or for RNs who are looking to switch specialties. If you are an RN with at least one year of experience in a specialty and you want to stay in that specialty, you should apply for an RN position.