I've been lurking here for the past 2 years, finally got my B permit, and will be here the next couple of years. I'm a registered nurse back home and looking to practice here as well. I'm in the middle of the Anerkennung process already, just wondering if anybody knows of any nurses here who can give me some information about what it's like to work here Thanks in advance!
Hi all,
I didn’t know that there was a Los Angeles in Canada.
What sort of work are you loking for in nursing?
CA = Kalifornia, not Canada.
FL = Florida, not Lichtenstein.
DE = Delaware, not Germany.
AL = Alabama, not Albania.
etc.
Tom
My main specialty is emergency nursing but I also have experience in school, cardiac, and medical/surgical nursing. I've always been keen on psychiatric nursing and was planning to pursue higher education in that field before moving Just trying to get a feel of what nursing is like here. I know it's quite difficult for third country nationals here in CH but I figured I might as well try while here!
thanks for the clarification I assumed most people would be familiar but I guess not!
If you speak proficient German and you have your qualification recognized then should be no problem working here. Nursing is basically the same wherever you are.
I worked nursing in an elderly peoples home but its hard to compare that to hospital work.
What do you mean third county nationals?
Yes. OP, how fluent is your German?
Thank you for responding. I have my B2 in German already but definitely needs some improvement I used to work in a geriatric/skilled nursing facility when I was still in high school but not as a nurse; I worked as an activity aide, where I helped to keep the residents entertained (watch movies, play games, walk them around etc). I'm not opposed to doing something like that again either!
Honestly, I'm quite reluctant to work as a nurse here because of the language barrier, so I'm keeping my options open.
From my understanding, a third country national is anybody who isn't EU/EFTA.
I obtained my B2 last November. I've been mainly State-side this past year so I'm back to relearning since being back in ZH.
Good for you, having already obtained B2! Press on, press forward, don't give up! Since you already know your way around learning other languages, you have a good chance of getting yourself up to the level you'd need for everyday work, while you wait for your certificates to be recognised.
There are many, many nurses whose mother tongue is not the local language. Therefore, you are unlikely to be criticised for, say, grammatical errors. Most important is to be able to undertand, express yourself, read and write, without too many delays and clarifications, and then to master the medical vocabulary of your field.
You sound bright, brightness, so welcome, and go for it!
Thank you for the encouragement!
Nursing homes here are desperate for well qualified staff. As long as you speak reasonable good German. In many of the nursing homes the majority of the workers are non swiss. At least where I worked it was like this.
Also in the hospitals you dont have to be a genius in German. But a reasonable proficiency is important.
What is your qualification exactly?
This is maybe of interest
Thank you for the link, I'll try to get through that over the weekend
As for my qualifications, I graduated from a 4-year university in the US with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and have been working as a registered nurse (RN) at a level 1 trauma center in the area since graduating almost 10 years ago. I'm still unclear about the scope of practice here in CH for one such as myself, as I am still not sure what all the titles mean and the extent of the care each provider can provide.
Most likely they would put you in either the category BSN or Diplomierte Pflegefachfrau/-mann HF . The standards in CH are different to USA
Have a look at page 11 and 12 of the link. It shows all the categories.
OP, just in case you hadn't already found it, here is this forum's huge, bumper thread, spanning several years, about how to work as a nurse in Switzerland. I hope it helps you to get a sense of the various qualifications and the nurses' experiences.
When I got my nursing " Anerkennung" back in 1997 they did not even ask whether I spoke German. . Things have changed alot. Fortunately there was more or less no internet in those days!
thank you all for responding I've been reading up on all the threads about nursing for the past two years but will brush up on them again. I'm also thinking of checking out some of the healthcare-related non-profit organizations here. I guess starting over has its perks!
In some of the big hospitals they are putting nursing staff off to save costs and puts more stress on those remaining.
I've actually experienced that in the past and it's horrible. Those who stay, mainly the competent and compassionate ones, end up getting burnt out. Some end up taking extended time off just to recuperate or even quit nursing all together to work in completely different fields. It's a real shame but it's a reality that will affect the care that we will all receive in the future.