Do you like your long commute?

Nurses Rock Toon

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How long is your commute to your workplace? Do you think the long commute is worth it? Do you even consider the time you spend sitting in a car, bus, or train when computing your salary?

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Thankfully I have a workplace that is near my home so the commute is bearable.

Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.

I left a job that was about a 7 minute drive for one that's 50 miles (1hr-ish) to get into critical care. It's a long trip, especially being night shift, but it's worth it because I really enjoy my job now :)

I do 45 minutes with little traffic. It's made me a book on tape addict. My library has tons and I also download. I've listened to things I never would have taken the time to read and sometimes am actually looking forward to the drive to hear more of the story. =)

I am a student, school is 35 miles one way. I plan at working at a hospital a similar distance from home after graduation if I get hired in the city I wish to work.

I am a Maryland student living w/ my parents & drive about 50 mins (on a good day) to my community college. Once I get into a BSN program I will get an apartment within a 10 mile radius of the school so I don't have long commutes anymore. Plus it will most likely be in the Baltimore area so it will be more of a city than where my parents live now. I've already made promises to myself in the future to rent/buy a house near whatever hospital I work at eventually. I hate driving.

When I started nursing school the drive from my rural hometown to school/clinicals was about 1 hour. After 1 semester I moved to the nearest metro area, about an hour from my home and 30 min from school. It made sense, considering I did not know where future semesters and job opportunities might take me and the city was a central hub. Upon graduation, the only job I could find (without considering out of state relocation) was 30 minutes up the mountain from my rural hometown - leaving me with a 1.5 hour commute, each way. This made my part-time job fill as much time as a full time, and I was spending 15 hours a week in my car. Yuck! I really had to carefully consider whether I ought to stay in the city and seek a job nearby, or move back to my little town in the hills. I've grown to love my school nursing job and have moved back to my hometown. I enjoy a 30 min (one-way) commute up the most beautiful, mountainous, lush highway. What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning and unwind at the end of the work day.

I drive 3 hours each way to work. I work stretches of 12's and then go home, usually 4 on 6 off, 2 on 2 off and it repeats each two weeks (make the round trip twice each two weeks). I share an apartment in the city near the hospital with 2 other long comuter nurses who work at the same hospital. I am the shortest commute of the 3 of us. I know several other nurses who drive very long distances. In all the years I have been in nursing I have alwasy known some long distance comuters.

Even counting the 12 hours a pay period I spend driving, gas, wear and tear on the (cheap used beater) car and paying rent on the apartment I still come out way ahead of working near my home with the very low wages offered there. It isn't ideal but it works for me. I get to work in a very high paying metro area for nurses and take advantage of very low cost of living in the rural area were I live. 12 hour shifts and an understanding nurse manager make it possible.

Wow, Holy cow. I was gonna say. Been thinking about this for a job; but I have some responsibilities that have taken priority right now.

So, b/c I am now looking at a situation similar to yours, I would really like to know the following:

How is this working out for you? Do you find it tough to be away from your family for those shifts, or do you just come home, crash, and go back in again?

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I have an 8 mile commute to work, about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic.

Specializes in Neuro ICU/Trauma/Emergency.

I live in NYC( which is great when i don't have to take a taxi from pure exhaustion). But, I have to take the A-uptown, transfer to the F at W. 4th, and transfer to the 4 on certain days...My commute is about an hour if I can beat the morning commuters when I am off. On days when I have to wait on the slowest F on 63rd, the commute can stretch out to 1 1/2 hrs after a 12 hour shift. Do I think it's worth it, yes! Would I like to work closer to home? I wouldn't dream of working in Brooklyn ,and I was born and raised in Brooklyn!

Thank God for my handy dandy Ipod & metro card! My job offers reimbursement at the end of the year for the full commute prices or you can take a 50% cut to receive your reimbursement throughout the year.

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

5 minute drive on a bad day.

Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

You guys are good.

The farthest I ever drove to work was 30 minutes one way and I hated that. It's important to me to work close to my home and I like the feeling of working in my community. I wouldn't consider taking a job that took me so long to get there or back. I also wouldn't want to be that far from home in case of an emergency.

Wow, some of you folks are road warriors. I've always had at least a 30 minutes commute to school or work. And I find that taxing at times, especially in a midwestern winter. How do some of you folks manage more than a 1 hour commute one way, especially if you have a family? Some of you have my respect. Like "proud nurse", I prefer to be closer to my community that way I know the folks around me and am "closer to home" per say.

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