Is an hour too long to drive to work

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I thought this was a profession that you could easily find a job. i guess i was wrong. I have an interview at a hospital that is an hour from my house. is this too far to drive. it is for baylor.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

It could be, depending on the job you have. My job, i have to be able to get to the hospital in 25 minutes if i'm called in (when i'm on call) or to make arrangements for a place to stay.

Only you can answer whether an hour is "too far." (Unless, as Marie notes, the job requires call and that you be available within a certain amount of time; even then, that might be workable if you wanted that particular job badly enough).

I used to work a Baylor-type job at a hospital nearly two hours from my home -- but it was my closest opportunity to get a job in a subspecialty that I really wanted to get into. At first, I stayed overnoc on Saturdays in a cheap motel in the other town (so I only had to do the commute once per weekend), and then one of my new colleagues introduced me to a nice local lady she knew who had a spare room she was interested in renting out (much cheaper than the motel, and we enjoyed each other's company and became good friends). Also, the Baylor job allowed me to go to school during the week to complete my BSN. So, it was a good choice for me all around ...

I would say that an hour each way would get to be really a drag if if were a 5-days-a-week kind of job (I've done 45-minutes-each-way, and that got really old ...), but a Baylor position is a whole different matter. Best wishes on whatever you decide --

For me, it depends on whether it is stop and go traffic. It takes me about 45 minutes on my evening and night shifts but would take a lot longer if it was the day shift. The view helps as I can see the ocean for a long stretch. Never ending road construction is also a factor. I wonder who the idiot was that thought it would be a good idea to put a water main under the road...now the road is being torn up to replace the pipe! :angryfire

I personally would never take a job an hour away. I had a job that took me 45 minutes in rush hour traffic, and it was absolutely excrutiating. Now I work 15 minutes away and I love it. When I work 12.5 hours, I don't want to turn that day into 14.5 hours!

Specializes in Emergency.

Alot depends on where you live as well. In rural America an hour is a long time and a long ways. In a metro area an hour might not be that big of deal.

Having said that I have had coworkers travel any where from 5 mins to 5 hours to work.

The five hour person did 6 12's on and six off- she and a freind stayed at one of those extended stay hotels during that week. For them the $5.00 hour difference in pay and the level one trauma center expereice made up for that cost, that and it only ran them about $100 each as it was for the room. It also helped for them that one worked days the other nights so they didnt run in to the issue of living with each other for an extended time.

Rj

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

depends on how long your shifts are and how often you work. Can you afford the wear and tear on your car, PLUS gasoline? Can you afford two hours per day on the road? Only YOU can answer that. I suggest you figure out paper the mileage on your car and the amt you will spend on gasoline (figure it will go UP from now thru summer) and then decide if it's worth it. And more importantly, do you want that 2 hours spent in your car or with your family?

Living in a rural area, I have driven an hour to work before. It is do-able, but it is very tiring, especially if you work nights and have to drive home after a long horrid shift...it's hard to stay awake to drive. For me it got very old after awhile.

Heres an idea. Take your daily wage, subtract gas money. add two hours to your working time (if you work 8, then its 10.) and divide your daily wage minus gas by that amount. That is your real hourly wage. It may be acceptable, or you may be able to make more closer, even if it doesn't seem like more.

I drive an hour to work. I do it because the hospital I drive to is one of the top rated in the country, and has plenty of opportunities for me there. Maybe you have a vanpool there? I drove myself for the first 7 months I worked there, but then found that the hospital and state funded a vanpool. To get people to carpool and solve the hospital's parking problem, they supply us with a van and pay for maintenance on it. The riders pay only gas. The 6 of us who ride split gas and take turns driving. Maybe you can find an opportunity like this. It makes the day go quicker and I have met great new people.

Elizabeth LPN

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

Given your personal circumstances, your financial needs, the pay the job offers, and your home environment needs, only you can answer that question for certain.

It takes me about 45 min to get off the freeway, then about another 15 to drive to the hospital, park, and walk into my unit. So I have to leave about an hour ahead of time to get to work as well.

I could have taken a job that was 15 min from my house w/o freeway driving at ALL but it really matters where you want to work. I really love the hospital I am at now, and it is worth the drive.

It really is up to you, if you can tolerate the drive. I personally don't think its THAT bad b/c its only 3-4 x a week.....and on Sundays it only takes me about 20 minutes.

+ Add a Comment