Nurse gas in the SRF “Arena” against Lukas Engelberger

What about the implementation of the nursing initiative? Pflexit? That’s what the “Arena” was all about on Friday.

It is a subject that is still in flux after the pandemic. Moderator Sandro Brotz said at the beginning that they had rarely received so many messages for a broadcast.

No other job was advertised more often than nursing last year. There are currently about 15,000 nursing vacancies to be filled.

There are currently 186,000 people working in healthcare in Switzerland. However, by 2029, 20,000 people with education and 79,000 people without education are likely to be missing. 40 percent of people – 500 per month – quit their healthcare job early because it is too demanding.

Claudia Soltermann knows this burden. She is a certified expert in emergency care and has worked in hospitals in Aarau, Baden, Lucerne and Einsiedeln.

Although she is still active in nursing, she had to reduce her workload to 70 percent. She says: “It also means that I can deposit less into the pension fund. But I accept that. Because I don’t want to work 120 percent anymore.”

Soltermann takes care of the show’s showdown and thus surpasses all others present.

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Soltermann says he started in nursing in 1997 and it was already said that at some point there would be a bottleneck, more staff would have to be recruited and the existing staff would have to be treated better. “1997 was a long time ago. I don’t think much has changed since then. Better working conditions are needed.”

Lukas Engelberger, chairman of the GDK, sees a demographic problem in this. Healthcare competes with other sectors. There is also a lack of skilled labor in other areas as the baby boomers are now retiring.

It is important to bring out the inner motivation. He tells Soltermann: “The way you shine when you talk about your work is an important element.”

Soltermann remains sceptical: “People always compare us with other industries. But the cantons are responsible for society’s basic health care – but not for the survival of a restaurant. We always hear: it takes time. As a disaster expert, I have a hard time with this: we work, bang, bang, bang. I expect politicians to be just as quick. Because people are running away from us!”

Engelberger doesn’t seem to want to believe that: “We have to win these people back! It’s cooler to work on an emergency than in the office.”

She: “But also more demanding.”
He: “But certainly also more enriching.”
You: «Enriching? We are spat on and beaten off!”

On November 28, 2021, the care initiative was accepted by the people with 61 percent. All cantons have accepted the package, with the exception of Appenzell Innerrhoden. The Federal Council has proposed two implementation packages.

The first package provides for the federal government and the cantons to invest one billion euros over eight years in the training of qualified nurses. Future nurses should also receive direct money in the form of training contributions. Parliament has already approved the package. This is expected to take effect in 2024.

Yvonne Ribi is general director of the SBK and is concerned that the cantons will not be ready when the care initiative is implemented in mid-2024. She calls for immediate action. Together with Soltermann, Ribi is the most demanding of the evening in the “Arena”.

According to an expert report commissioned by the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH, only three cantons (Berne, Ticino, Valais) of the 24 respondents currently have the necessary preconditions or have done sufficient preparatory work to successfully implement the care initiative. 13 cantons only partially meet the federal criteria and 8 cantons currently do not meet them at all.

Secretary of State Erich Ettlin defends himself against the cantons’ criticism: “The difficulty for the cantons – and you have to protect them – is that they have to partially adapt the legislation. But that is now the challenge: that it happens as quickly as possible.”

Engelberger also does not want to leave it to the cantons: “We are talking about the requirements of a law that is not even applicable yet. The referendum period is still running. Some of these are very formal requirements. You can trust that the cantons will take the timetable seriously. take it and stick to it.” He says that with great confidence.

The second package is intended to improve the working conditions of nursing staff, for example with reliable duty rosters and appropriate remuneration. The FOPH is currently working with other federal agencies on proposals for this second package.

Engelberger emphasizes that any measure in the second package will fail if it fails to get people into the profession. The second builds on the first package. You can only make the schedule more reliable and shorten the work assignments if there are more people. “Everything is absolutely dependent on the success of the training offensive.”

Engelberger previously spoke about employment law. He says: “Labour law is the same for everyone in this country. I wouldn’t like it if there was a special labor law for healthcare.”

Soltermann sees it differently and thus provides the second showdown at the show: “Employment law does not apply at all in our hospitals. Sometimes I work weeks of 60 hours, when that should really only be 50 hours. Sometimes I worked double shifts, from 7:00 am to 11:30 pm. All not allowed. And that without a break. This does not comply with any employment law. That’s why we need labor laws that protect us!”

Soltermann compares – once again – the regulations with reality. And wins.