Would You do This Commute?

[westieluv]

I am an RN currently work from home but, while I appreciate the convenience of it, it is starting to get lonely and boring, not to mention that it is very stressful and the company that I work for is a bit of a disorganized mess.

I recently received an offer for an interview for a job that I think that I would really love that meets my criteria: three twelve hour shifts a week, day shift, and in my specialty. However, it is about 40 miles from my home and according to Google Maps and Mapquest (I haven't tried driving it yet) it would be an hour's commute each way. Right now, obviously, I have zero commute, so to go from this to driving an hour each way, although only three times a week, concerns me. It's easy in the middle of summer and feeling dissatisfied with my current job to think that it would be no big deal, but I live in an area where we do get some snow and ice in the winter and I wonder if I'm looking at this through rose colored glasses and would end up dreading the commute.

So would you consider doing this commute three times a week? It is roughly 50/50 state highway and interstate highway and I have to pass through one small (30,000 people) city on surface streets about halfway through and the job itself is in a suburb of a large city so that would be surface street driving too. I would do it in a heartbeat if it was all interstate highway, because then it would only be maybe 30-40 minutes, but unfortunately, that's not the case.

Thanks!

[EllaBella1, BSN]

I do a very similar commute. Mine is 51 miles door to door, 42 of which are interstate, about 6 are local highways, and 5 are city streets. It takes me about an hour total. I drive past several other hospitals on my way to work, but for me it was worth it to do this drive because of the opportunity that the position provided, and the fact that I really liked the hospital. My hospital is undergoing some major organizational changes that are making working conditions pretty rough, so I'm starting to second guess my decision. But I would totally do the commute again for the right position. The only thing that would make we wary in your situation is the winter driving. Do you live in a place that handles the snow/ice well? I went to nursing school in a city where when it snowed there they had the roads spotless pretty much immediately, whereas the town I grew up in essentially shut down when it snowed more than a few inches. Makes a big difference.

[westieluv]

Thanks for your reply!

Where I live, they do a fantastic job of keeping the interstates cleared and get on it almost before the snow starts, and really, the various cities do quite well with their surface streets as well. However, that said, caution is obviously still required when driving in these conditions and therein lies the problem, people who drive 70+ miles an hour in snow and ice and act like it's the middle of July. They are the ones who cause the accidents that tie everyone else up and there is nothing you can do about it when that happens.

I am really thinking this over and leaning towards not doing it just because a 12 hour day in nursing is, as you know, more of a 13+ hour day most days and with the commute I would be looking at a 15+ hour day. Two in a row would not be fun at all.

Still, I am looking for opinions and considering my options. I am really sick of my work from home job and really feel the need to escape. So funny when you consider how many nurses on these forums think that working from home would be the golden ticket, but it really isn't and our company can't keep nurses even with the work from home perk so that might give you some idea of what it's really like.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

I love driving, but I hate other drivers, so I don't think I could do it.

Maybe make a drive a few times during the time you'd be driving to work and see how it goes?

Good luck in your decision.

[caliotter3]

My decision would be based solely on how I think the winter driving would be for me. I do not like driving on ice and snow so I avoid it. But you might be more comfortable with this since you say they keep the highways clear. Still, it really is hard to beat no commute at all!

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

My current commute is 33 miles which ends up being about 50 minutes per map quest but I really drive it in about 42 minutes lol. I just started so its been fine doing it in the summer but we are moving to reduce my time to about 30 minutes. We also get winter weather and when my commute was only 30 minutes in decent weather, it often turned into an hour + when snow struck. I would definitely drive it yourself first then look back on last winter in your area. Winters here have gotten more and more mild so winter storms are really only a few times a winter event which is why I ended up being ok with commuting greater distances.

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

And I just did 3 12s in a row with that commute. I get up at 4:30 am to make it by 7 (we have to stop kids off before) and get home at 8:30 pm. 2 shifts in a row I'm fine but I'm not going to make 3 in a row a habit.

[westieluv]

Thanks for all of your valuable input. I am thinking more and more what it would realistically be like doing this commute when it would be dark coming and going in the winter and on those days when it would be dark + snowy combined it would be pretty terrible. I guess I'll keep looking for something closer to home.

Thanks again!

[morte, LPN, LVN]

or you need to make home closer to job...

[westieluv]

or you need to make home closer to job...

I sometimes wish, but my DH's job is here and we are closer to our families and generally pretty happy here so moving isn't an option right now.

The same company offered me an interview for a job closer to where I live only working in the field as a case manager instead of in the inpatient unit (it's a hospice company) but that would defeat the purpose because I would be doing even more driving doing a job where I go to people's homes all day long.

[Orion81RN]

I too am nervous about Winters. I do 3 days a week 50 miles a way, 1 hr. It's completely worth it right now, even when raining, but I'm nervous about Winter coming.

[kkbb, MSN, RN]

My commute is 30 miles one way if I take the shortest route with lots of lights or 40 miles if I take the all highway route (only 3 lights that way). But the distance doesn't bother me....it is a nice way to transition thinking from home to work or work to home. That said, I do not live in an area with snow and ice. I grew up in a ski town in Colorado, so I know all about icy driving. I think the general road conditions would be the determiner for me. Also, would you ever be on call, or be required to show up to work with short notice?