The lives of commuters: ‘I commute three hours a day for an unpaid 12-hour shift’

A student nurse, who works a 12-hour shift on an unpaid six-week placement and must drive 90 minutes to get to work and another 90 minutes to return home afterwards, shares their story here.

The nurse did not want to give their name because they fear speaking out would be frowned upon by the college and the managers in charge of the clinical placements.

Student nurse
Commute: Dundalk to Cavan – 90 minutes each way
"I am a student nurse in Dundalk. Over the four years of college we are put in clinical placements throughout the northeast region. We don't have any choice where we are put. It doesn't matter if you are from an area or not or how long the journey is.

“It doesn’t matter if you own a car or not, or even if there is a bus route or not. We are given the choice of mileage or money towards accommodation. This is the college’s way of saying you had a choice. In many places the accommodation available is sub-standard and can be quite lonely.

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“A girl in my class recently told me she paid for accommodation in Cavan. At night she could hear a man pace outside her bedroom door. She turned the TV on loud to give the impression of being awake. She didn’t sleep much that night and the next day she had to work 12 hours on a clinical unit. She has decided to commute in future but she is now under a lot of stress regarding a loan to pay for a car, insurance, tax, NCT and maintenance.

“I decided to drive from Dundalk to Cavan for a six-week placement because it was important for me to be with my partner every night. My partner has no family in Dundalk and is under a lot of emotional stress because their family has had two serious health setbacks in the last few years.

“The roads to Cavan are very narrow and windy with lots of potholes, some of the most treacherous in the country. During the winter these roads are almost un-driveable, so the journey takes longer. On a couple of occasions I witnessed cars that drove down ditches, very scary. The only consolation is the scenery is beautiful, with lovely hills and lakes, but it’s important to remain focused.

‘Lunatic drivers’

“The day starts at 5.30am. My work clothes and lunch are prepared the night before. I’ve time for breakfast and a quick coffee and I’m on the road by 6am. It is imperative that I be on the unit for 7.45am. Every morning, without fail, I meet the same lunatic drivers coming from the opposite direction on their way to work in Dundalk. You wouldn’t believe how close I come to an accident on a daily basis in both directions, and I consider myself a safe driver. This journey is not for the faint-hearted.

“Upon arrival at the clinical unit in Cavan, we have to work a 12-hour shift and without pay. We are not considered equal staff, yet put a full day’s work in. We are expected to be alert at all times and ask as many questions as possible. We are questioned on our knowledge on a daily basis and held accountable for our actions.

They talk about bringing nurses back to Ireland, or trying to keep the ones they have. How about giving student nurses some dignity and respect back?

“One time I was told by my manager that being tired cannot be used as an excuse. She said we all have to commute to work and have the same burdens. We are all tired and have personal issues but you cannot bring them to work. I wanted to tell her this is not true. I wanted to say you are paid to be here. Your commute time is less because you choose to be here, you live in the area. You also work a nine-to-five shift.

“Even for the paid nurses, most of them are living in the area. As students, we don’t have a choice. Our commute is long and dangerous. We are constantly being scrutinised and examined. We are not paid, so why is it the same?

“After four years of placements, there are very few students from Dundalk who will work as nurses in Cavan, maybe one or two who are from the area.

‘Dreaming of your bed’

“After 12 hours on a unit, it is so nice to get back into your car and sit for a few minutes. It’s now 8pm and completely dark. At this stage you are exhausted. Even changing the gears feels like work and you are dreaming of your bed. But this is no time to relax: another 90 minutes of dangerous roads back to Dundalk, and don’t forget the lunatic drivers in the other direction are going home too. Every turn and twist in the road, the gears have to be changed and headlights dimmed for oncoming traffic. It seems Cavan drivers feel no obligation to dim their headlights. Please don’t rain this journey – it is dangerous enough.

“Eventually I arrive home and it’s almost 9.45pm, not much delay tonight. I can hardly get out of the car I’m so exhausted. Once at the house I have to prepare my meals for the next two days and eat something. Then have a cup of tea and relax. It wouldn’t matter if I drank coffee; I’m so over-tired a coffee might help me sleep. It’s now 11.30pm and I have to sleep, will get about five and a half hours. Without my partner, Big Ben wouldn’t wake me. The same day starts again.

"On our days off we have to do college assignments and prepare for exams. Forget about going out on the weekend, you need to maintain the routine. And you wonder why student nurses feel abandoned? They talk about bringing nurses back to Ireland, or trying to keep the ones they have. How about giving student nurses some dignity and respect back? Don't try to break them before they even become nurses. It's easy to reduce their workload and commute times. Even €50 a week payment would go a long way to make them feel appreciated."