They are in demand and usually find a job quickly. At the same time, they suffer from too much work being distributed among too few people. These are two sides of the shortage of skilled nursing workers, which has worsened in recent times. According to the job radar of the company x28 AG, nearly 7,000 nursing specialist vacancies have recently been posted throughout Switzerland; almost 16,000 in healthcare. According to the H+ hospital association, many hospitals and clinics are struggling to fill vacancies on time.
“We see an increasing shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare sector,” agrees Stella Soklic. She is a senior consultant at careers consultancy Careerplus and places healthcare professionals such as registered nurses and experts with postgraduate studies. Well-qualified applicants find jobs quickly and often have multiple offers, she says. For those looking for a job, this can be an opportunity – even for those who don’t initially match the ideal applicant or future employee.
Like Peter Schmid, who actually has a different name. He had trained as a nurse and worked for a long time in old people’s homes and nursing homes. “At some point I realized I had an addiction problem and I had to deal with it, also because of health issues.” Schmid depended on drugs and stole them at work. He informed his employer – who had no idea.
“We parted ways by mutual consent. However, the last sentence of my testimony, which is fine in itself, said that there was a serious disciplinary violation. » After withdrawal therapy and a time-out, he wanted to get back to work. Schmid, then in his fifties, thought it would be difficult to find a new job on your own. That is why he contacted Careerplus.
Recruiters are in demand right now. The permanent job market is growing in all sectors: according to the Swissstaffing Association of Personnel Service Providers, turnover increased by 22 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022. There are no current figures for the health sector, but the trend continues. Swissstaffing’s Ariane M. Baer says that due to the shortage of skilled workers, personnel services are going the extra mile to successfully match job seekers and employers – even if the job seekers have health problems.
According to personnel consultant Soklic, hospitals and other institutions looking for staff have also responded to the shortage of skilled workers: they are more open to finding individual solutions for people with health limitations, for example. “It is not possible to find a solution in all cases. But the will of the institutions is often given.”
Peter Schmid talked about his addiction therapy when he first came into contact with Careerplus. “I told myself that we can only find a good and appropriate solution if I put all my cards on the table. I also didn’t want to fall back into old habits and keep things a secret.” The uncertainty about his future weighed heavily on him during this time.
When a solution came, it was a great relief. “The fact that some companies in the healthcare sector showed interest in my file and invited me for a trial day was positive for me.” The Careerplus team has finally been able to find him a permanent job in telemedicine consultation. Now he no longer has to deal with medication on a daily basis and can still use his expertise. The job suits him: “I have telephone contact with a wide variety of people and I have the impression that I can help.”
That employers are prepared to accommodate applicants is also apparent from a case study by senior HR advisor Soklic: A young health specialist was unable to accept a temporary position in the short term for psychological reasons. She went into psychiatric treatment – and was later able to taste the same company again. After that she first got a temporary appointment, later a permanent appointment.
Soklic says (re)entering through temporary positions can be a good opportunity for job seekers and institutions to get to know each other better in day-to-day work without bearing the full risk. “It is very nice when people with special stories trust us and we then come to a solution together,” she says. “If I hear later that you are doing well in the new position, I will be very happy.”
Due to the lack of staff, the team is usually very grateful when someone joins: “The new colleagues are happy when the work is divided over more shoulders and they have more time for the essentials: personal contact with people.”
source: watson
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
