How long is your commute?

Nsg is an art · Oct 30, 2015

I agree- you have to really evaluate more than the commute. Work environment, management style, patient ratios. How well did the facility do on their last survey. What about patient satisfaction HCAPS scores. Benefits, 401k? Ability for upward movement, sign on bonus? Repayment of school loan- or future schooling?

Take a sheet of paper, divide it into three sections. 1. Things that are not negotiable 2. Things that are negotiable 3. Deal breakers.

fill this out before looking for jobs. This will give you an objective view to evaluate job offers.

A job that is right for you maybe worth a commute? But it's a personal choice.

emmy27 · Oct 31, 2015

Currently? 5 minutes. Literally. I could walk if there wasn't a sketchy industrial area between me and the hospital. I don't love my current job, but I do love that the time between clocking out and walking in my door is practically nothing. It also makes meetings/education/forgetting something at work much less of a hassle, and I pick up partial shifts and last minute shifts for coworkers all the time because it's no big deal to get there.

My longest commute was a solid hour on the interstate without traffic, sometimes much, much longer. I loved that job but that kind of commute really grinds you down- especially when you've got shifts back to back (if there's bad traffic on the way home and you don't even get home till 2100, and you have to leave by 0530 to make it back in the morning, your really have to hop straight in to bed and hope you get a decent amount of sleep). It got really scary sometimes, especially in the mornings (I am NOT a morning person) when it was still dark and I was exhausted and having to blast music and keep the windows down to stay alert.

As a short term thing and/or in the absence of other options it can be done, but a long commute is a more serious quality-of-life issue than I think most people realize before they do it.

01103130 · Oct 31, 2015

I don't mind traveling under two hours on a train..where I currently work takes 1 hour and 20-22 minutes travel whether I take the local bus ( 2 transfers; 1hour 20 minutes ), or 3 bus transfers ; 1 hr &22 minutes travel). So my stress level settles by the time I get to my workplace which is usually 30 minutes before my shift starts. Two downsides - have to be up early and leave home at 5am, in case the local bus runs late for schedule, and messes up the next ride (s). And no nightlife on weekdays. The upside - I'm relaxed when I get to work early, it reflects self-discipline and professionalism. So it can be annoying if someone at work turns up late (30minutes!) without even apologising to everyone,and then interrupting the handover..

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2015

I have never lived more than 6 miles from my primary job. But driving 6 miles can take 15 minutes or it can take an hour.

meganec17 · Oct 31, 2015

Which route do you/would you take into Boston....Rte 1 or Rte 95? Both must be hell; I used to live (grew up) north of Boston; we used the train (from either Manchester or Ipswich, Mass) to get into North Station and do the subway after that. Traffic at rush hour was pretty dismal back in the early 1970's, so I imagine it is horrendous by now!
Have not been on the roads there since before the "Big Dig". Before that, the exchanges/junctions were bad because you had to go from a left entry to a right exit to get to your commuting road. So, has it improved? Any?

I'm not entirely sure if this was directed towards me but I'll answer anyways! To get from southern NH to Boston, I normally take route 3 to I-93. I don't do a lot of commuting in rush hour times, but traffic is still pretty awful. I personally find the best way to get into the city is taking the commuter line from Lowell, MA into north station and then using the T to get elsewhere. Also, driving to Alewife station (Cambridge) isn't too bad either. You still hit a lot of traffic, but beats driving all the way into the city. The left entry to the right exit is still there, causing a ton of backup!

No Stars In My Eyes · Nov 1, 2015

I'm not entirely sure if this was directed towards me but I'll answer anyways! To get from southern NH to Boston, I normally take route 3 to I-93. I don't do a lot of commuting in rush hour times, but traffic is still pretty awful. I personally find the best way to get into the city is taking the commuter line from Lowell, MA into north station and then using the T to get elsewhere. Also, driving to Alewife station (Cambridge) isn't too bad either. You still hit a lot of traffic, but beats driving all the way into the city. The left entry to the right exit is still there, causing a ton of backup!

Thanks! I was very interested in your answer. It's been quite a while since I've been back home to my old stomping grounds.

tcquilter0707 · Nov 1, 2015

Your commute should depend on if you work night shift or day shift, and the traffic situations, along with how much time you are willing to dedicate to driving longer distances. I used to commute 26 miles each way to a rural hospital. I worked nights and while there wasn't a lot of traffic, the ride home in the morning was scary. Due to it being two lane highways, I was always getting stuck behind either school buses that stopped every 200 feet in some areas, or behind the pokey guy hauling a trailer full of smelly pigs. It was compounded by me being very sleepy after working all night. I was always scared I would fall asleep at the wheel, especially when I had to drive 35 in a 55 mph area because of slow pokes. Passing was dangerous. When we moved to Michigan, I still worked nights but we lived less than 5 miles from the hospital so I got home quickly. It also gave me more sleep time because I didn't have to commute 45 minutes each way.

Now I work days but I live in a congested area in Florida. The heavy traffic goes south in the morning as I head north, and the opposite in the evening. I did fill in a for a few nights and getting to work in that evening rush hour traffic was a nightmare, as well as the ride home in the morning.

Only you know if the hospital you work for is worth the long and tiring commute, and it really can make a difference which shift you will be working as well. If you are offered a choice of shifts, I would make the drive to the hospital in both morning and evening traffic and see which you prefer. You have to consider the safety issues of driving long distances when you are tired and sleepy.

nurse2bsuyin · Nov 2, 2015

35 - 40 minutes. Really good 'wind-down and reflect on stuff' time...

avergowven · Nov 2, 2015

I drive 35 miles each way to work.

babilidose · Nov 2, 2015

How far is too far really depends on you. What shifts are you applying to or likely to get? If you work nights can you handle your commute in the AM? Currently I commute an hour and a half one way without traffic. It's not that bad. But I also work PRN. If I'm not up for the drive, I don't make it. Prior to that it was a short as 10 minutes and as long as an hour with city traffic. For me, I don't mind a commute as long as there's no traffic.

motor_mouth, MSN, RN · Nov 2, 2015

~10-15 minutes. It's around 5 miles. Worst case scenario (blizzard conditions) I could walk it.

kakamegamama · Nov 2, 2015

8,000 miles. Twice a year, at least. Once here, 15-30 minutes, maybe, if the taxi melds well with the traffic, and depending on which location (I work in two different locations).