Is being on call required?

Many units where I work require on call work, such as ICU, intermediate cardiac unit, Labor and Delivery, and recovery room. I work med-surg and we do not do call work. So it's possible to find a job without it.

Not all jobs require call.

All marriages do, however. For that reason, I strongly suggest you find a job that allows you to be at home on a daily basis. Commuting will place a tremendous stress on your marriage. I know a number of people who have tried this. Unfortunately it rarely works well.

In addition to marriage and family needs there are many times when a 4 hour drive can be much more due to traffic or weather. I would think carefully before taking any job that far away.

Lots of jobs do not have call but I think that would be a secondary consideration for me.

I recently quit a job with a two hour commute. I didn't mind the drive at all and I stayed with my parents who treated me like a 43 year old princess (mom made my lunches and laundered my flightsuit, dad shined my boots). It was great...for about the first 6 months. But then I realized how much I missed being at MY home sleeping in MY bed. I'd come home to a mess (brother lives with me, not always the greatest housekeeper), the yard needed mowed, the patio needed weeding, bills needed paid. I was often away for 6 days at a time because of the schedule. As a new person I didn't feel like I could make too many demands on it. I'd be scheduled 2 days on, one day off then 2 or 3 days more so there wasn't any sense going home on my day off. Plus I was working nights which made me even more of a zombie. I neglected my friends, rarely could do anything fun because I was always out of town, on my way out of town or just getting back into town. Gas was getting more and more expensive. Seriously it isn't worth it. I'm pretty tough and I thought I could hack it but all I ended up doing was crying and the house went to pot. I'm still playing catch-up and it's nearly 3 months after I quit. I can only imagine what it would do to a marriage. Being on-call would be the least of your worries. I've been around for a long time and I can see that this will be a recipe for disaster. Find a job in your home town or talk to your DH about moving. I gave up a FLIGHT NURSE position because it was so bad!

It really depends on the facility and the unit you work in. I work in acute cardiac in a major regional medical center, and no, we are not required to take call.

Than you for all the sound advise, its making me really reconsider...its true stories like these that I really need to hear before making a big decision...which is starting to sound like a bad idea (the taking a job far away part!)

Your rural critical access hospital needs you. Stay with your husband.

Your rural critical access hospital needs you. Stay with your husband.

And your husband needs you. Stay with your rural critical access hospital. :)

And your husband needs you. Stay with your rural critical access hospital. :)

I work in one. We're always hurting for nurses. And I know should she do that distance gig her husband'll be hurting for her, and she, him.

:redbeathe