How far is too far of a commute?

[Alexxoxox, BSN]

I have not had luck finding an RN position around my area in a hospital, as I started in clinic. I finally accepted a job in an academic hospital 1 hour away. Is this too long of a commute? It is 3 12 hr Nov shifts. Opinions please!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I would, and have done commutes that long, but not for 12-hour shifts, which as we all know tend to turn into 13 and 14-hour shifts. Imagine running that many hours on your feet, often without food or water or any type of break, and then having to drive for an hour (that's IF the traffic is light and there's no snow/ice on the road). You'd get home just in time to take a longish nap, then get right back up and do it all over again. Not a very good, or very safe idea IMHO.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I assume you mean NOC shifts.Night shift on it's own will beat you up. You would not have enough time to rest in between shifts. I feel it would be unsafe.

Enjoy your clinic job... so many of us are begging to get OUT of the hospital.

[SarHat17, ASN, RN]

Depends on your situation. Would it be an option to commit to 3 shifts in a row and stay at a local hotel/airbnb? (If you find some options like these, and explain the situation, they may be able to work with you for a financial and scheduling arrangement that works well for both of you.)

Night shifts are a little more complicated because you are sleeping during the day, but it might be worth looking into.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

12 hour shifts are never just 12 hours.

I would say a commute is too long if:

1. you're too tired to drive home safely.

and/or

2. you don't have enough sleep time to practice safely on your next shift if you work back-to-backs

and lastly

3. the commute sucks the life and joy out of you.

[Davey Do]

11 hours ago, Alexxoxox said:

I finally accepted a job in an academic hospital 1 hour away. Is this too long of a commute? It is 3 12 hr Nov shifts. Opinions please!

It's all where your comfort level is, Alexxoxox.

The drive to Wrongway Regional was a bout 45-50 minutes and I worked there for 17 years. Granted, the first 12 years were 8 hour MN shifts, with the last five being three 12 hour weekend option MN shifts.

I stayed on a MN schedule on my days off, and typically got 5-7 hours of sleep on the nights I worked. I had everything coordinated so as to save time- clothes, food, etc. I would come home, take a bath, eat my dinner, and watched about 20 minutes of a DVD. Upon arising, I had coffee, did a little art, had a breakfast, worked out for 10-15 minutes, and would leave for work giving myself an hour for unforeseen circumstances.

In 17 years, I was a little late three times, due to a flat tire and such.

Good luck!

[Nunya, BSN]

Part of it depends on if it's really an hour coming home.  I had a 35-60 minute commute when I lived outside Houston and drove in, it varied because of traffic but I usually left around 5:15pm.  Coming home was a pretty stable 35-45 though.  I would usually be asleep by 9-9:30 and wake up anywhere from 1-3.  Waking up at 1 and not getting back to sleep was vicious but I could do it for a couple shifts, and I very rarely worked more than 3 in a row.  And I'm the type who likes her sleep!  If you can gut it out for a couple shifts after your first one, and you can nap before your first one, and you can figure out when to drink that last cup if coffee so you can stay awake till you get home but then fall asleep quickly I think it's doable.  I found a lot if it was mind over matter.....

Edit: but turn your phone off if you're working nights because no matter how often you tell people you're on nights they'll still call....get a cheap pay as you go phone if there's anyone who absolutely needs to be able to contact you, and be ruthless in deciding who gets that privilege.

[BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN]

Anything over 30 minutes is too long.

But if you are a new nurse and had some trouble finding work, stay there and see how long you can do it (for the experience). Try to space out shifts, but either way it's hard enough if you work nights.

Good luck!

[CaliRN2019, BSN]

Yikes! I worked 12 hour NOCs for a while and my 25 min. drive home was often rough. 1 hour would have been unsafe for me, but maybe different for you. I am now on 12 hour days and drive 45 minutes into work. I actually enjoy the drive because it is nearly a straight shot and zero traffic. There are other hospitals 45 minutes from where I live that pay more but I would have to battle traffic and the drive would be stressful. You need to take into account the quality of the drive. It is an easy no brainer where you can sort out your thoughts or jam to music? Or is it a stressful?

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

The answer is "How far are you willing to drive. If a two hour drive is acceptable to you making a 12 hour a day a 16 hour day then there is your answer. I can almost see my workplace from my front porch and that's the way I like it.

Hppy

[turtlesRcool]

What's your endgame?

Like many posters here, I don't see hour-long commutes on top of 13-14 hour shifts being sustainable long-term, but maybe you don't need that.

If the job works out, would you be in a position to move closer once you know you've found your niche?  I know nothing of your family or community situation, but moving closer to work is often an option.  Many people move for career advancement - why not nurses?

If you get acute care experience at this hospital, could you use that to land another acute care job closer to home?  Just as medical residents spend the first 3 years of their career in a working-learning residency where they don't make much money, maybe you could approach this job as a working-learning residency until you get your magical year of acute experience under your belt. Take the suggestion @SarHat17 made, and invest in a "crash pad" near the hospital for 2-3 days a week.  It could be an air-bnb, a colleague's spare room, etc.  Yes, it would eat into your pay, but could you budget for that as part of an investment in your plan to transition to acute care?