Is being on call required?

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I am in my senior year of my BSN program. I am taking a course that prepares us for becoming nurses; resume writing, 5 year career goals, mock interviews in front of the class, etc; so you can imagine there is lots of talk about jobs, where to work, what hospitals to apply to, ect...We live in a semi-rural area and a classmate, who has become a good friend of mine, and I have been talking about getting jobs in a big city area about 4 hours from where we live. I however am married, so I have thought about the possibility of renting an apartment with her and just living 4 days a week in the city and spending the rest of the time in my home town. When I discussed this with my husband he brought up a point I had not thought about..."Will you have to be on call?" Could I possibly get a new job and get hired if I told them I would not be able to be on call because on my days off I would be 4 hrs away? I am I looking at a pipe dream?

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

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.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

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.

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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.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

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!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

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.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

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!)

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

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Your rural critical access hospital needs you. Stay with your husband.

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

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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

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