How far do/would you commute...?

TX.RN.Shannon · Aug 30, 2012

Wow--that's far! I travelled up to 2 1/2 hours for clinicals...and it was tough!

MJB2010 · Aug 30, 2012

For one of my first nursing jobs I drove an hour and a half each way 3 days a week. It was a killer. You need to factor in gas, tire rotations, car maintenance and make sure you have a reliable car. I would not recommend doing it long term or 5 days a week. It is very stressful and exhausting. I did it for a year and that was tough!

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2012

i drove 115 miles one way 5 days per week on orientation, then the same for 3 12's, but it was for waaay more money, better benefits, and at a prestigious medical center. After 2 years of this, lol, when I was sure I was staying at this hospital, I have since moved to that state, and now my commute is 10 minutes....

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2012

While living in California 7 years ago, I drove 95 miles one way (190 miles round trip) to an LVN program Monday through Friday for approximately one year.

While living in North Central Texas, I drove 225 miles one way (450 miles round trip) to an RN completion program in Central Oklahoma. My friend and I kept an apartment in Oklahoma for those nights when we couldn't or wouldn't be able to drive back to Texas.

ChrisMarie09 · Sep 3, 2012

Right now my communte to class is 5 minutes, clinical will range anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on location and traffic. If I had a better car I'd be willing to go up to an hour for classes, 90 minutes for clinical. I'm spoiled by living in a suburb of a relatively large metro area with lots of options for BSN within an hour of my house.

tamadrummer · Sep 3, 2012

I drove 28.6 miles each way in a ford f250 Plus clinical rotations if more that 50+ miles each way. I don't know of I could have gone much further than that but now that I have graduated and from the school I went to I feel very fortunate to have gone there. Everest university school of nursing is tough but I feel leaps and bounds more prepared than others from other schools. My biggest deficit is time management because we only ever took care of 1 or 2 patients other than that I am very happy.

preciouspkgs1 · Sep 7, 2012

It wasn't for nursing school, but for midwifery school in Florida. I lived in Tampa and went to school 3 days a week in Miami (4 to 5 hour drive depending on traffic each way) at MDC College for 2 years....it sucked, but it was worth it to get my midwifery license! Luckily I was able to do my clinicals at home. (and at that point I had 4 kids already)

It just depends on what the benefits are over the detriments for that particular program and you. Is it a well known program? Would they be willing to work with you and maybe help you get in to do clinicals with local nursing students so you just have to drive for your didactic portion? Is it a less expensive/shorter etc program than your local program?

good luck!