Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Nursing shortage causes alarm in Switzerland

Nurse bandaging patient s foot
It has become harder to fill nursing apprenticeship positions in Switzerland. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Switzerland is facing a nursing shortage with nearly 15,000 open positions awaiting skilled recruits to fill.

The Swiss Association of Nurses sounded the alarm on International Nurses Day.

The association is demanding better pay, reductions in working hours, additional vacation days and childcare subsidies.

In November 2021, Swiss voters backed an initiative to improve conditions for nurses following the Covid-19 pandemic.

A survey in March found that most cantons are still poorly prepared to meet their obligation to fulfill the demands of voters.

Nursing unions have threatened demonstrations unless the aims of the initiative are implemented speedily.

Swiss public broadcaster SRF said central Switzerland alone needs 14,000 extra nurses by 2029, compared to 2019 levels.

The Lucerne Cantonal Hospital has only just filled apprenticeships spots for the summer. Ten years ago, these positions had been filled a year in advance.

The Swiss Association of Nurses complained that the quality of training has deteriorated since the pandemic.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Swiss Armed Forces have around 147,000 personnel

More

Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit

This content was published on The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.

Read more: Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
Two men charged by the MPC with money laundering

More

Two Swiss men charged with money laundering

This content was published on One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.

Read more: Two Swiss men charged with money laundering
Richemont reports lower first-half results

More

Richemont reports lower first-half results

This content was published on Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.

Read more: Richemont reports lower first-half results

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR