how far are you willing to commute for a job?

JillyRN · Nov 22, 2013

My first nursing job after graduation, I commuted an hour (hour to work, 90 minutes home due to traffic) five days a week. I, too, had a very hard time finding a position so I took the only one I was interviewed and offered. It was not very well paying and very stressful, but well worth it. After gaining a year experience, I was offered various other nearby positions with better benefits and pay. So I think it all depends on what you're willing to do.

Kipahni, RN · Nov 22, 2013

I currently commute 45 mins 3-6 days a week. It is not bad. I worked with a nurse that commuted 4 hours. She would work her 3 12's in a row and stay at a cheap hotel or sometimes at the hospital and then drive 4 hours back home.

schnookimz · Nov 22, 2013

I'm currently driving 60 minutes with no traffic and up to 2.5 hours in traffic. I'm totally dreading the snow!!!

And frankly even 60 minutes is awful to me.

I once read a study that showed that your happiness is directly correlated to your travel time to work.

sunshyne17 · Nov 22, 2013

An hour and 24 minutes. That's what I will be doing soon anyway. lol I will prolly drive, stay over night in a motel, then drive back home until I relocate in a few months.

elkpark · Nov 22, 2013

I've driven ~2 hrs (each way) in the past, to get into a subspecialty I really wanted, but I worked a modified Baylor schedule (two doubles every weekend), stayed over, and just did the commute once a week. That worked out well for me (plus, I had Mon - Fri free every week :) ). I've driven 45 mins - 1 hr each way for a regular job, but lived in a rural area where everything was far away and that was not an uncommonly long commute to work.

luvbebes' · Nov 22, 2013

I'm currently driving 60 minutes with no traffic and up to 2.5 hours in traffic. I'm totally dreading the snow!!!
And frankly even 60 minutes is awful to me.
I once read a study that showed that your happiness is directly correlated to your travel time to work.

Hmmmm, probably correlated in most cases, but not all. My new grad nursing job was almost an hour away door to floor, with a iced coffee stop on the way. After a year and half experience, and having my first child, I decided to apply to a hospital 15 seconds away (3 blocks). I got hired but kept my old job PRN. Lets just say I treasure those random PRN shifts at my old hospital, drive and all. I think the actual job had a LOT more to do with happiness than the drive. However, after working a full 12.5 hours, it is nice to be home in less than a minute:)

calivianya, BSN, RN · Nov 22, 2013

I am willing to drive farther for a PRN position than a full time job, personally. I live five minutes away from my full-time job but I just applied for a second job that's about two hours away. It only took me an hour and 45 minutes to get there for my interview, but that was in the early afternoon and it's a nights position, which means I'll have to hit the 5:00 traffic on an interstate to get there most days. I think about two hours is my max, and really, with a two hour commute I'm planning to try to work two days in a row and stay in a cheap motel between shifts. It would be easier on my body and gas tank. I don't think I could tolerate a two hour drive both ways for every shift.

nursecait · Nov 23, 2013

I drive 1.5 hours each way to work, it's not too horrible unless I hit traffic