English 
Spanish 
3 min read
With a shortage of nurses in Switzerland, the country is facing an urgent demand for healthcare professionals. Find out how to apply for available positions
On International Nursing Day (May 12), the Swiss Association of Nurses (SBK) warned of the lack of professionals in the European country, highlighting that healthcare systems around the world are suffering from a shortage of skilled workers, aggravated by the health crisis of 2020, according to the website Vagas Pelo Mundo.
O International Council of Nurses (ICN) has already identified the growing shortage of nurses as a global public health emergency, encouraging governments to invest in nursing. In Switzerland, according to the Jobradar portal, there were 14.803 vacancies open for nurses, 6.884 of which were for highly qualified professionals.
According to the Swiss news portal SRF, Switzerland will need 14.000 new nursing professionals by 2029 to fill job vacancies in the country, both in hospitals and in companies. The search for new employees has been worrying, also affecting the professional training process.
- Operator Vivo offers R$2.000,00 salary to work as a home office customer service professional in the comfort of your own home, requiring only a high school diploma
- Company opens home office vacancy on a 5x2 scale with a salary of R$3.319,00 to work as customer service support from 09:00 am to 18:00 pm – work from the comfort of your home!
- Have you ever thought about working for one of the largest companies in the world? WEG is announcing job openings with attractive salaries + profit sharing + health and dental plans and other benefits; See how to apply
- Last Chance! Vacancy at Sesc with a salary of R$3.306,00 — Send your resume by tomorrow!
The situation also affects nursing students, as revealed by a survey in the country. Around 71% of respondents indicated that the pandemic had a negative impact on the quality of training, reporting lack of adequate supervision during practice and disability in practical skills training.
I'm not from Switzerland but I want to work there. And now?
For foreign professionals interested in vacancies to work in Switzerland, it is necessary to have their qualifications recognized by the Swiss Red Cross. The process to get one of the vacancies includes evaluation by the SRC to determine if the training is equivalent to Swiss standards, completion may be required additional training or adaptation period.
In addition, it is necessary to obtain a work permit for non-Swiss professionals who do not belong to the European Union or EFTA. Also, it is important to check the latest information on the official vacancy portals, as the requirements and process may change over time.
Nurse salaries in Switzerland: average pay and requirements for the profession
According to the Jobs.ch portal, the average gross annual salary of professional nurses in Switzerland is CHF 56.611 Swiss francss, including the 13th salary and bonus. These data were obtained from 2.165 responses on nurses' salaries in the country.
On the site, it is possible to verify that the professionals with the lowest salaries in Switzerland receive CHF 42.000 per year, while the highest earners can earn up to CHF 79.996 CHF annually.
Furthermore, to apply for nursing vacancies in Switzerland, it is necessary to complete a three-year training program leading to the Diploma in Nursing (Dipl. Pflegefachfrau/-mann HF, Dipl. Infirmier/-ère HES). The program combines theoretical education with hands-on training in a healthcare environment, and some professionals choose to pursue further education, such as a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing.
Upon completion of education and training, it is necessary to register with the Swiss Red Cross (SRC), responsible for the recognition of nursing qualifications in the country. It is important to emphasize that language proficiency is essential to compete for vacancies, considering that Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch.
