I posted something similar on my state board but thought I may get more experiences here. Does anyone commute an hour away from home for work because they prefer the better work environment?
Do you drive home every day or stay in that area? For example, I am thinking of a 36 hr three 12 hr, days position. It would be ideal to stay in the area but I don't know how to work that out or if financially it would be beneficial.
Any experiences with commuting this far are appreciated.
I commuted while I was in nursing school for 2 years. It was a 71 mile drive one way, and I did this several times a week. It took longer than an hour but was a very straight drive. It wears on you, and this wasn't even for work. I know several people who do it at my job but I would caution against it. I am rarely out of report at 7:45 AM, it's usually closer to 8. To have an hour drive on top of that would be exhausting, especially if you have to be back the next night/day. You CAN do it, and many people do, but it is a drain on you, your vehicle, your resources. Also keep in mind about staff meetings, etc. An hour is a long way to go for a meeting. It is also rough when you have to stay for a meeting after 12 hours of work, then have an hour drive home. Everyone has to do what is best for them. Best of luck to you.
Thank you for all the experiences. I am thinking it may get old after some time. I wish we had more opportunities where I live. I'm not a fan of driving to begin with so this may not be the best plan.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I posted something similar on my state board but thought I may get more experiences here. Does anyone commute an hour away from home for work because they prefer the better work environment?
Do you drive home every day or stay in that area? For example, I am thinking of a 36 hr three 12 hr, days position. It would be ideal to stay in the area but I don't know how to work that out or if financially it would be beneficial.
Any experiences with commuting this far are appreciated.
I've never commuted more than 17 miles, but when there's a sports event that 17 miles can take an hour and a half or more.
Years ago, when I worked in Washington state, I had colleagues who commuted from North Idaho, Vancouver BC and San Francisco. The gal who lived in North Idaho drove back and forth daily for a short while, and then made a deal with one of our colleagues who rented her a room for the few days she was in town. The arrangement worked out great for both of them. The Vancouver nurses rented a cheap studio apartment (there were three of them) and whoever was in town to work stayed at the studio. They were rarely all there at the same time, and they claimed that even with renting the studio, they made a lot more money working with us than they would have in Canada.
The San Franciscans (there were two of them) flew commercial back and forth and stayed with a friend in town. I'm not sure how long that arrangement lasted. They worked part time in San Francisco and had benefits there, working agency in Washington State. They stopped coming to our ICU when we got staffed up, but I heard they were still flying back and forth a long time afterward.
An hour is a long commute, but not so long as to be impossible. I'd give it some time. If you decide to stay in the area, you may meet someone at work from whom you can rent a room.
If you get days that would be ideal but what if you get nights? That changes everything because those twelve hour shifts are more like 13-14 hours which leaves a long commute when you're exhausted and trying to get good sleep during the day. Plus there's no guarantee of three days in a row. I had an evil scheduler who would do every other just to mess with me which meant driving home every morning and back again less than 8 hours later (my commute was a bit longer) or being gone for 5 days with mail piling up and grass to cut and the house going to pot. I had to put a security system in because I was gone so much ($$$$). I missed my bed like crazy. There are other issues as well such as work-life balance, wear and tear on your vehicle, bad weather driving. I did it but only for 18 months before I couldn't stand it anymore. If this is just a short term plan then I think you could make it work but this should in no way be long term.
I did 3 1/2 hours one way; stayed for the 3-day stretch, and drove 3 1/2 hours home at the end of my shift. Why? The money was awesome and the flexibility was to die for!!! I did that for 2 years...not solid, because with those conditions, I was off for a couple of weeks every month. Loved it!!! Just returned to the position, with an increase in pay, and live a little closer. Now the commute is 1 3/4 hours. Same flexibility!
Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
I drive 45 minutes to work because I picked a better work environment over going back to a facility closer to home. The environment is so much better, that I took almost a $5 an hour pay cut to work there on my preferred shift. I got offered a weekend alternative position soon after starting as a float pool nurse. It is great for my family, I work every Sat and Sun and get paid for 36 hours and get full time benefits. I also got a raise on my base pay, our manager did a salary adjustment to be competitive and help retain nurses. Making this trek was the best decision I could have made for my family. I will say that I miss the 15 minute drive to work some days but I also like having the longer commute on days where the shift was rough and I need to decompress. I don't stay in the area, just commute to work. I leave a bit early, I like to be there about 30 minutes early and get organized.
I've had a 45 minute commute for the last three years. I enjoy the drive to work because I have time to wake up, relax, and sip my coffee. The drive home, though. I don't know if I could do an hour.
I did an hour commute for 4 years. Like the other posters have said, it wears on you after a while, but it was such a good place to work that it was worth the drive. I worked as a travel nurse for a while, too, and I did 8 hour shifts M-F at a little dump of a hospital that was about 2 1/2 hours from my house. I stayed at a motel on Tuesdays and Thursdays and made the drive the other 3 days. That lasted 3 months but it wasn't horrible and I made good money. So you'll just have to try it out and see what works best for you. It seems like the older you get, the harder the commutes are.
I look at it like this...if you lived in a big city the average commute is like 45 minutes to an hour due to bumper-to-bumper traffic. I've driven over an hour to and from work for the last 7 years. Then on my days off I drive 2.5 hours to the lake for the weekend. I don't mind driving at all and I get to listen to Howard Stern all the time...win-win!!!
Specializes in Huntingtons, LTC, Ortho, Acute Care.
I commute an hour one way to work I work 3 12 hour shifts and I work them in a row, this way I get a few days off between shifts. I have so many hospitals in my area that pay better and are minutes away but I clung to where I work because of familiarity. I know my facility and their expectations I love the people I work with, but I feel it's time for change for me.
Honestly.... After three years of commuting an hour my car has crazy miles, I am exhausted a lot of the time, and now I'm back in school for my FNP, my first clinical rotation I will be doing at my hospital but I think after clinicals are done I will be looking for somewhere closer to home to work. I love where I work and I'm afraid of change but my Mind and body and my car would benefit from being closer to home.
there are some days that hour commute makes you question your safety, and I am tired of that aspect as well. If you feel there is great experience to be had go for it but I promise that long commute gets old quick. Even staff meetings are inconvenient when ya travel from that far away
I will drive for PRN but I would move before I drove for a FT job. I currently commute an hour for my PRN job and 5 minutes for my FT job. That hour is okay every now and then, but back to back shifts are rough. After a couple shifts in a row, I'm tired. If I didn't sleep well the day before, that drive home is a nightmare. It's hard to fall asleep on a five minute commute, but staying awake for an hour long commute is a whole different ball game when you're exhausted. There have been some drives home that I obviously did completely on autopilot because I was surprised when I pulled into my driveway. It can get dangerous.
I don't know if I could do an hour.
chacha82, ADN, BSN
626 Posts
I commuted while I was in nursing school for 2 years. It was a 71 mile drive one way, and I did this several times a week. It took longer than an hour but was a very straight drive. It wears on you, and this wasn't even for work. I know several people who do it at my job but I would caution against it. I am rarely out of report at 7:45 AM, it's usually closer to 8. To have an hour drive on top of that would be exhausting, especially if you have to be back the next night/day. You CAN do it, and many people do, but it is a drain on you, your vehicle, your resources. Also keep in mind about staff meetings, etc. An hour is a long way to go for a meeting. It is also rough when you have to stay for a meeting after 12 hours of work, then have an hour drive home. Everyone has to do what is best for them. Best of luck to you.