Is it a MUST to be able to drive once you start nursing school?

Kskar91 · Aug 14, 2013

I guess it depends on where you live. If you live in a bigger city with public transit then not having a car may not be a problem. Its kind of a given if you live in a rural area. Having a car isn't a requirement but its nice. Idk about where you live but our bus system isn't always on time and isn't particularly extensive. So I just do not trust it to get me to school/clinical on time. Not to mention if the public transits times do not line up with your class times it could end up being very inconvenient. In my opinion its important because if I'm late its on me, if I was riding the bus it could be completely out of my hands but I would still get reprimanded for it.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Aug 14, 2013

Unless you have access to public transportation, then having a car is a must. Unless you have a family member or friend willing to get up with you at 5 a.m. to get you to clinicals by 6 or 7.

Caribbean Character · Aug 14, 2013

it is where I live. I live in northern Maine and clonicals are anywhere from the hospital here in town to the psychiatric facility in Bangor 180 miles away. You don't have a car you better have a very good friend!

futurenursekl · Aug 14, 2013

All your comments are very true . especially for clinicals, I really needed this information so that I'll be able to clarify towards certain people in my life why exactly I need a licence and a vehicle even if it means to finance one

Mewsin · Aug 14, 2013

It is difficult to be without a vehicle. I did end up financing one during school because it is necessary. We had to go to facilities to use their lifts during tlr. We also went on some 'field trips' to a yoga studio and to see the new psych hospital 3D mock up. I did car pool to clinicals but there were a couple of days I was needing to find a ride home as my ride there ended up sick.

benegesserit · Aug 14, 2013

Well, you have to be able to get to class and clinicals, and clinicals are likely to start and/or end at a time when public transportation may not be feasible.

I made it through without a license thanks to supportive husband, a classmate in the same town who I could carpool with (the school was cooperative in putting us in the same clinical group), and public transportation.

Not having a license does limit opportunities once you graduate.

RLtinker, LPN · Aug 14, 2013

All your comments are very true . especially for clinicals, I really needed this information so that I'll be able to clarify towards certain people in my life why exactly I need a license and a vehicle even if it means to finance one

Needing a drivers license and a car is pretty much a given in nursing school. Class wise you maybe able to get away with public transportation but your clinicals can be just about anywhere. As for someone driving you there, just consider that I have had clinical start as early as 5:30 am. And being late could mean being kicked out of the program. It is possible but you may need to make some special arrangements.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Aug 14, 2013

It's difficult but it is certainly possible. I have a friend who wasn't allowed a car during college - she carpooled and paid gas money to the person driving. I carpooled for clinicals as well, even though we all had cars. We just would rotate whose turn it was to drive. What helped was that we only had one clinical rotation that was not in a group situation, and that my college is in an area with great access to reliable public transportation. Not a city by any means, but better than most areas its size.

toya932 · Aug 16, 2013

As the others mentioned, it depends where you live. I live in New York and we have public transportation, so I just use that. The public transportation is very unreliable sometimes, but I do not have money to buy a car right now. Gas is really expensive, and finding parking in New York is sometimes a joke. Most of the hospitals have parking but it is very expensive, so if you want to drive you must give yourself ample amount of time to find a parking. So public transportation, though it is annoying works best. But a car is nessacary if you live somewhere that does not have transportation or requires lots of traveling. I do hope though that I can afford a car soon.

Luckily the hospital I am going to be at this semester is only 20 minutes from my house by train!!!!! Good luck this semester!

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Aug 16, 2013

If you live within walking distance of campus then you could just walk to class...otherwise you'll need a car to get yourself to and from clinicals. A lot of schools have nursing students do clinical prep work the night before their clinical day...that's where you go in, get your assigned patient and look through their chart to get all of their information (admitting diagnosis, past medical history, medications they are taking, labs, etc)...then they usually require you to look up all of the medications, formulate a nursing care plan, figure out why their labs may be abnormal, etc. At my school, most clinical sites were at hospitals and/or nursing homes/LTCs in the area but we also had sites that were further away - 30 minutes to an hour or even longer at times. Therefore having transportation is a must.

green34 · Aug 17, 2013

I know someone who was picked up and dropped off for every shift. I don't recommend it.