I feel I have made a mistake choosing a position for financial reasons - I can't leave now as I have only been there a month. What can i do?

[Lillycake]

Just qualified as a mental health nurse and about 5 months ago went to 3 interviews. Long story short - chose the position I felt I'd be most supported as a newly qualified.
It's an hour away (50 miles) and the others were 29 miles and 42 miles away. I work 2 long days as I struggle with childcare therefore on a part time wage (25 hrs). It's costing me approx 35 pound a week back and forth. Shattered too as I leave at 5.45am and home at 10pm. I am going to struggle financially but reluctant to take other opportunities as I haven't heard great stories about them. Next week I am training for 4 days 9-5, it's going to cost between 60 - 70 pound in fuel. What have I done and what am I going to do!

Good god, 50 miles! That is unsustainable, let alone all the fuel you are using up... If the job is good, then move house. Otherwise, hand in your notice and try to make life easier for yourself with a job closer to home.

An hour each way isn't that bad.... it's the long days that are hard, not the journey. Change to three normal length days if you can. Think about your future needs, not your immediate needs. Often the first few years of working with childcare mean you work for nothing, but it's worth it in the long run.

But you work for two (long) days a week, so that's 200 commute per week - so like a full-time person living 20 miles away from the work. Long but do-able, depending upon the roads being decent.

I think it's pretty normal to be shattered when you start any new job - let alone one with hours as long as yours. Maybe give yourself three months to get in to a routine, and see how you feel then?

Do you like the job? Are you well supported? Is it just the commute/childcare issues that are making you miserable? If so, can you move? Good, well-supported jobs in the NHS aren't that easy to find, so it's worth trying to make this one work for you, if you can.

You will get used to the travelling OP. If you’ve not done it before it will be a bit of a shock to the system. Give it a bit more time and you’ll be surprised at how easy it all becomes

Thankyou all :)
The roads have been ok so far. It's the one coming home I struggle with. It's 200 miles however on a part time wage. I understand alot of people on average would travel this 5 days a week.
So far I have felt supported. It's early days.
I know whilst I was training, I heard so many stories about newly qualified nurses were being left. It was my biggest fear. To be honest, I don't know how I feel. I question if I am concerned about the travel because I don't like the area of nursing I have chosen or am I really or should I be concerned financially. I can't move here, it's in England and I'm from Wales. I have 3 dc's who are at school and settled. I wouldn't want to anyway. I am a single parent with a mortgage to pay so I was forced to make a decision very quickly.
I just feel about bad as they're booking training for me here and I am not sure if I'm staying. Kind of feel I haven't got a choice.
I could try it for a few months. It's all getting me down a little. I'm not enjoying or feeling excited about starting my new career.

I've done a long commute & I know lots of other people who do too.
I also think that you need to give the job more time
If you feel the same after 6 months look for something closer
You should be able to look on internet & find your cheapest fuel

I'm interested in this as I am starting a new job with similar travel issues, and also from Wales into England.

Is travelling by car definitely your only option?

I have decided it is too far and it's already made a HUGE impact at home. The training that I need to do throughout my first year is even further away. I just can not finance it.

Good for you. If you make a decision and feel a weight fall from you, that’s a sign it was the right decision.

Will they not contribute to fuel for training?
Good support for a newly qualified is so important.
Talk to your line manager about your doubts.

I spoke to my manager and he has given me until today to think about it as I told him last week it's not going to be doable. He then gave me tome to think. My time is up. I need to tell him today but still not sure. I honestly feel sick thinking about going back there. I was hoping to find an area I enjoyed but most areas of mental health nursing impacts on my own. I am under so much pressure to pay the mortgage, I am considering leaving the profession (not that I even started it). I just need to work.

Feeling sick about going there says it all. It's such a difficult case though as you have to still pay bills and mortgage.

By law they cannot make you work or force you to stay so pretty simple really... hand in your notice!!