Commuting an hour to work

vanilla bean · Jul 31, 2016

I used to commute over an hour away. I was willing to do it for the invaluable experience that was afforded by working at that facility and I wasn't willing to relocate for a shorter commute. I worked 3 12-hour night shifts and commuted in/out for each shift. I did this for 2 years.

ETA, I just noticed you're from MA so I'll add some details. I used to live in Southern NH and commuted in/out of BWH during the Big Dig years. On a good day, it took me just over an hour. When the Sox were at Fenway, I gave myself 2 hours. I dreaded those shifts, but they were few enough that I could live with it.

Sour Lemon · Jul 31, 2016

I used to commute over an hour. I didn't mind for the first year, but I grew to hate it after that. I stayed for another year because I love a good rut and have trouble moving on ...but I hoped to be canceled every single day.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2016

I commuted 120 miles one-way (240 miles round trip) to a non-nursing workplace years ago. Back then, I had few options in the employment marketplace because I was not a nurse. I was in my early 20s and without a college education or specific trade, so I had to do what I had to do to make ends meet.

The commute was new, novel and somewhat enjoyable for the first year, then it became a tiring hardship.

RiskManager · Jul 31, 2016

In the Seattle area, commutes over an hour are the norm, especially if you want to buy a house or live in a good school district on a healthcare salary. When I was working on Pill Hill in Seattle, my typical 27 mile commute from south Snohomish county took between 45 and 120 minutes depending on the traffic on I-5, and this was leaving at 0600 to 'beat the traffic'.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Jul 31, 2016

I've commuted over an hour for work simply because there are not a lot of opportunities in my town. At first it's ok, but after awhile it's draining. Especially if you had a bad or really long day at work.

NOADLS · Jul 31, 2016

An hour commute is nothing. If it's the cost of working in your ideal setting, go for it. Better than a shorter commute and another 8-12 hours in hell.

lindseylpn · Jul 31, 2016

I've commuted 45min-1hr (depending on traffic) to work each way for over 10 years. I work 13-14 hour shifts. I don't really mind the commute at all, I listen to audio books. The only time it's bad is if I'm really really tired.

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emtpbill, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 31, 2016

Tomorrow I start a new job (medic) that is 74 miles one way. Its all highway driving on the PA turnpike but I can be there in a little over an hour. The working conditions are 1000% better, trucks are a lot better and everything works in them and the equipment is top notch. I look forward to it. Plus, the way i look at it, is the commute home gives me time to unwind and reflect from the days events. It helps that i only have to do 3 shifts a week also.

Everline · Jul 31, 2016

I have varying commute times depending on the location I'm working, but almost all of them are at least an hour away, a couple locations being more than double that time. If my schedule has me working back to back in locations a couple hours away, I will usually stay the night in a hotel so that I can save the drive time. I have done the math and it works out to my best to do so in those situations. I have found hotels for very inexpensive prices by planning ahead. This doesn't happen every week. It is just an occasional thing, but it works out ok.

As to my general feeling about long commutes, I have a love-hate relationship with them. I do listen to audiobooks, catch up on the news, give myself pep talks and have discussions with friends (hands-free!) during my commutes. I don't usually mind the drive that much. But after several months, it does start to get tiring. I limit the days I work because I really am exhausted (I work no more than 3 days per week). After a hard day, it's not particularly appealing to have a long drive home. And there is the mileage on the car which gets extreme. Right now, I'm staying at my job because it's a good fit for me. But I don't know how much longer I will do this. When I'm not working, I hate driving. I always say when I move on to a new job, it needs to be next door.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2016

I know some nurses who live on the Cape and commute to Boston. I know of two nurses who would stay at a hotel when they worked weekends/2-3 days in a row so they didn't have to go back and forth every day.

If you take a 36 hr position, there's no guarantee that your days will be back to back. When I worked in the hospital, the only times I could guarantee my shifts would be back to back were on weekends. And then if you're overstaffed/under census on weekends, you could end up getting canceled.

As for me, I've never lived more than 6 miles from my primary job. In the snow/bad traffic my commute can still be over an hour though. That's something to consider in MA. In winter, a 1 hr regular commute could easily become 4+ hours if it's snowing.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jul 31, 2016

After a decade of wacko-level commutes in the DC area, I think an hour is just fine! :) Even after entering healthcare (which I did in part to alleviate the DC-commute issue), I usually had at least 45 minutes to an hour of driving. I enjoyed the wind-down time, listened to lots of audio books, and felt like I had brushed off the detritus of the day by the time I got home. It was like "me" time. Now I'm home in 10-15 minutes and I don't even get through a tiny bit of my iPod playlist! lol