position 1hr 15 mins away..should I?

caliotter3 · May 24, 2010

My commute is two hours and forty minutes for a low paying job. A previous employer increased my hourly rate AND paid me mileage to go to a job that was closer than the present job. I hate the commute and what it is doing to my car, stop and go, freeway traffic jams on congested urban routes. Almost three hours to travel less than 36 miles? I stay because I haven't found another job. Yet. If this is your dream job, ok, an hour is about the limit. However, be aware that the mileage will take a toll on your car and you will be repairing your car or replacing it sooner than you normally would have.

Work in Progress · May 24, 2010

I have no experience doing it, but I told myself that I will commute that long for a job I love over working in a specialty I hate that is nearby. I think it just depends on your personality and what you value. If it were me, I would sacrifice some sleep (and my car's well being) for a while to get the experience and then take that experience and try to get something closer. Or I would move closer to the dream job.

llg, PhD, RN · May 24, 2010

Will you be working 12-hours shifts? What will that make your schedule? When would you have to leave your house ... and when will you get home? Be realistic.

I'm not saying it's impossible, but I have known people to try that sort of thing and to have trouble staying alert during night shifts ... do a poor job at work because they are so tired ... fall asleep at the wheel driving home ... etc.

Is there any way you can improve the situation by not working more than 1 day at a time (maybe 2 days in a row at most). Can you manipulate your schedule well enough to give you adequate rest before and after working? Will you be able to sleep well enough on your off days to be sufficiently rested for your work days? Is there someplace near work where you could sleep ocassionally if necessary?

One person I know was able to make a long commute work because she had a friend she could stay with if she had to work more than 2 days in a row. etc. etc. etc.

Don't take the potential for exhaustion lightly. It can kill you (literally), kill someone else, cause poor work performance, interfere with family relationships, etc. Either make a realistic plan to deal with it ... or don't do it. Loading up with drugs (e.g. caffeine when you want "up" and something else when you want to come "down" is not a healthy choice.

carebearsRN · May 24, 2010

I would consider relocating or asking the recruiter if they have relocation assistance. 1 hr is definitely doable but depends how hardcore you are with lack of sleep :) if NICU is your dream job, go for it.

kathy313 · May 24, 2010

I take public transportation in a very big and congested city....train and then the bus. The commute time adds anywhere from 3-4 hours to my day, five days a frigging week! Thankful my job has a transit subsidy.

cb_rn · May 24, 2010

I've driven over that each way but if I was doing more than one shift in a row, I often stayed with a good friend (which was a pain in itself -- too much of that can try a friendship). When I didn't stay with her I was exhausted by the time you calculated how long I had been up, working 13 hours, and the commute home. It was very tough on my car, especially when gas was so high but I stayed in a specialty I loved at a place I loved and consider it worth it.

R.NICU · May 24, 2010

Thank you all so much. My thinking is much along the lines of llg's. Although I want the NICU position more than anything, I'll probably pass up on it for now. I don't want to endanger my life, another's life, my relationship, or my car. The city I live in is super saturated with new grads and NICU positions are about impossible unless you do your preceptorship in the particular facility.. which, obviously, I am not. Rehab isn't where I want to be forever, but I think I'll enjoy it.

futureunknown · May 24, 2010

I commute a little over an hour each way and have a hard time seperating my feelings for my commute and my job. Although I am in Finance, the commute is one of my top reasons for trying to find new employment which is pretty limited right now.

I took the job because it was all I could get at the time and have been commuting now almost 5 years...

LindsayLu · May 24, 2010

It's hard to pass up a dream job! I agree with most of what everyone else has been saying. Think hard about what this would actually mean for you. At least it would be only three days a week.

Is it possible for you to move to live closer? If there is stuff and people you'd like to stay near, maybe you could move halfway so that your commute isn't too long? Or if you have a lease, could you deal with the commute for a while and plan to move later?

I'm not sure about your situation (family, obligations, etc.), so moving might not be feasible, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

SandraCVRN · May 24, 2010

Is that 1 ht 15 min drive time or your front door to your unit? That can add another 15 minutes or more depending on the parking. I agree with the others about only working 1 or 2 shifts then a day off in between.

I did this when I first started working BUT we had an old nursing school that we could stay in, so I only had to commute ime per week, occasionally they used those old dorms for other folks and I would have to do that drive 3 days in a row...it was a killer...

Remember a 7-7 shift is really 6:30-7, plus you need to get there a few minutes before that, then you never get out exactly at 7. All those extra 10 & 15 minutes add up. How long does it take you to get ready? What time do you need to get up to leave your house @ 5?

Lot's of things to think about? Age??

caliotter3 · May 24, 2010

I would really look at moving before I would pass up on your dream of working in the NICU, provided you are offered that position. Dream jobs just don't happen very often.