50 miles too far to drive for lpn job?

StocktonNurse, BSN, LVN, RN, EMT-B · Apr 1, 2015

50 miles is pretty far. Have you considered looking in your town. I believe that when it comes to find a job as an LVN, we should be determined to find a job in town, and then if need be then go to the next town. The worst case scenario you would drive more than 30 minutes to find a job.

Check out indeed. com and plug in your town and lpn to see what pops up. Have you gone to every hospital, nursing home, psych facility, jail, clinic, doctors office, and methadone clinics in your town? Us LVN's/LPN's get hired at alot of places. So, try to stand out by meeting the director of nursing or administrator and let them know that you are looking for a job and that you won't leave till they hire you.

CecileSF · Apr 2, 2015

It really depends on if you can live off of a LPN salary with the added expenses of travel costs. I highly suggest that you do it if there are no other options. You can always work there untill you get a better job too.

Just an example. I used to have several clinical courses where the hospitals were up to an hour away. And this was in nursing school and my group was just going as students. I did it for the opportunities and because it was what I needed to do to progress. My last clinical was 45 mins away (up to 1.5hrs with traffic). I know this doesn't compare because you have an actual job. But I'm am just hoping you can relate and realize that traveling up to an hour for work is not uncommon. Many of my RN friends also travel 30-60mins for work.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2015

Do you have any workplace options that are closer to home?

Personally, I wouldn't accept the position unless the commute was no more than three days per week or unless you have nowhere else to work.

Fiona59 · Apr 2, 2015

It can take me 45 minutes to cross town to get home from work.

I have coworkers who drive 100km each way to work.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2015

I commuted 120 miles to work each way, many moons ago. However, the OP is considering a commute in exchange for relatively low pay, in a tristate area (TN/MS/AR) with many other jobs.

caliotter3 · Apr 2, 2015

Too far to drive for pay that is that low. But then, what are the alternatives? I would place a time limit on that job, only so long as it takes to find something that makes more sense. I would not take the job at all if my car is not mechanically fit.

Nurse_Kimurtle, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2015

I drive 62 miles to work, 4 days a week. That's 124 miles, 3 hours of driving, round trip. I live on 20 acres, out in the middle of BFE, and all of the places that I went looking for a job, after I graduated the LPN program, wanted at least 1 year experience. The only place that was willing to take on a new grad was this place that I am at now, that I've been at for the last 8 months. I have put nearly 20,000 miles on my car since I bought it 7 months ago BUT it's a job and I am getting experience. BUT I will be looking for something closer to home once I get my 1 year in!!!

Oedgar · Apr 8, 2015

I commuted this distance for my first job, for a year. I was single, no kids, and worked the dreaded five 8-hour evening shifts. It was awful. Adding to the commute time was having to park in an outlying lot (Houston Med Center) and then catch a shuttle to the hospital. Management often wanted me to work a double and that was just not possible with the commute. When they really begged, I would stay for four hours into the next shift. During orientation I did work 12's... left my house at 5 30 am and got home around 8 pm. Awful. I moved there and worked another year and found I hated big-city living!