How long is your commute?

[the nurse who lived]

Hello all! I am just curious as to how far you guys commute to your jobs. I am a new grad and I am trying to determine how far is "too far" as I continue my job search.

[NanaPoo]

Currently, 10 minutes and I love it.

I once worked in downtown Atlanta. The drive was 15 miles but it took 1.5 hours one way. It was an oncology office job so the hours were 8-5 so I was stuck in traffic with the regular working hour schmucks. I've seen women shave their legs in their car. I quickly returned to floor nursing 7a-7p where I was wasn't stuck in typical rush hour traffic. I think the 12 hour shifts keep us nurses out of big city rush hour nightmares most of the time.

For most of my 16 years in nursing, I've stuck to suburbia. Home hospice did have me on the road for hours per day, though. I'm not sure how you count that "commute" to work!

[Galendria]

Both my nursing jobs have been at large teaching hospitals in the heart of big cities. I just love the action, learning experience, and variety that big hospitals provide over smaller community hospitals. When I worked at the first hospital my husband and I lived one county over and I had a 30 mile/45 minutish commute. When we moved to the mid-west we were lucky and found a nice townhouse in a good neighborhood about 12 miles from the hospital. We dream of owning land in the country one day though, and with that will come a much longer commute. I have co-workers who drive 2+ hours to get to work. I even have one co-worker who lives about 3 hours away, works back to back 12 hour shifts, stays in the city between with a relative, and then drives home for her 4 days off. At my previous job in North Carolina I had a co-worker who lived in Tennessee and did the same sort of thing (back to back shifts and renting a hotel in town between) because she couldn't find a NICU with the acuity and pay of our pediatric hospital's closer to home.

I guess it all depends on what you like. For those of us like me who thrive in the teaching hospitals, where we work isn't an option (well not really). So it all comes down to how far from downtown we want to live, and how long a commute we can stand :)

[Galendria]

We can phone in for meetings at my hospital, and they actually still pay us for our time! Its magical :)

My first hospital job was about 25 minutes in the winter, up to 45-60 in the summer. I lived and worked near the beach and got a lot of shore traffic. The drive was beautiful, though. Driving home in the morning was always faster and you couldn't beat the views

My second hospital job was about 40 minutes but between parking and walking/being shuttled from the parking garage it was close to an hour before I actually got inside the building. I also paid a very expensive toll both ways. This drive was miserable and one of the reasons I left this job. Getting there for shifts didn't bother me so much but it was the 1 hour meetings, 2 hour classes and mandated "education" that annoyed me. Driving all the way there for a 1 hour meeting wasn't worth the hassle. I was in the car longer than I was actually at the hospital. That's something you will need to think about when accepting a job.

Now I work at a school that is 17 minutes from my house. It's magical.

[Farawyn]

SN job- 3 minutes.

HH job- well... it's HH so I'm always in my car.

My hospital job was 13 miles away. Which was the perfect amount of time to decompress in my car on the way to and from.

GL, OP!

[essT]

10-15 minutes depending on if schools are in session. BUT, I did relocate about 3,000 miles for the job, if that counts!

[Jules A, MSN]

I'm in Connecticut. I feel your pain. Small state, LOTS of traffic during rush hour times. I could do 45 minutes. I don't know if I can deal with 2 hours ������

Yeah 45 minutes is my average, 90 the longest I have commuted which was a pita but doable. In a way I enjoy the time in my car to unwind with just music and no one needing me for something, lol.

[NamasteN]

Nursing jobs are very competitive in my area. Most hospitals want a BSN and I have an ADN. So I travel 50 minutes one way to the only hospital in the area willing to take a new nurse.

[CluelessNewbie]

5-15 minutes, depending upon the time of day/traffic.

I'm a lucky duck!

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

5-15 minutes, depending upon the time of day/traffic.

I'm a lucky duck!

Oh, dear, I totally read a different word than duck!! 😱

[JVoEDrn]

45-50min commute. I don't mind it too much. A 45 min commute is pretty common on my end just Bc if traffic. I however do 45 min of the highway and don't really deal with traffic. Makes it so much easier.

[malamud69, BSN, RN]

22 minutes

[B52, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hospital #1, 15 minutes.

Drug rehab, 20 minutes.

Hospital #2, 10 minutes.