A hospital shuttle or a private car?

What’s preferable for someone who works in a hospital on the Sabbath? One option is to take the hospital shuttle — this involves talking with the Jewish driver of the shuttle over the phone. The other option is driving my own private car.  

Dear …!

You chose a truly holy occupation, where you’re constantly involved in saving lives and giving to others. You feel others’ suffering and share their burdens. In this line of work, one should be especially careful to do everything according to halacha.

Even though, generally speaking, one is allowed to desecrate the Sabbath in a hospital, it’s proper to be in touch with the hospital rabbi, or with some other rabbi familiar with what happens in a hospital, who’ll be able to give detailed instruction on how one should act in different situations that arise. Speaking superficially, it seems that taking a shuttle involves fewer Shabbat desecrations, and therefore it’s preferable to travel by shuttle. However, it’s difficult to answer such a question in this format.

It's important to emphasize that there are hospitals that make sure to do everything according to halacha. They employ non-Jewish drivers for driving their shuttles on Shabbat. However, it seems, that unfortunately, the hospital where you are employed isn’t one of these. Therefore, it’s very important to receive instructions from a rabbi who is closely involved with the hospital work. There are a number of actions that are performed in a hospital that need to be directed by a rabbi.

Concerning going back home after your shift is over on the Sabbath, it’s impossible to permit either riding with a Jewish driver, or driving your private car.

Shulchan Oruch, section Orach Chaim, chapter 328