Work as Nurse Practitioner in Switzerland

[emtneel]

So I am curious to know if any American is doing this? Perhaps I will be the first.

I have previous lived in Germany 3.5 years and speak fluent German. My boyfriend is German and lives in Stuttgart and we are trying to figure a way to be closer together. I am currently living in the US. I have student loans and don't want to downgrade my 10 years of education to the level of nursing that is practiced in Germany. I have discovered Switzerland has something similar to Nurse Practitioners, and I hope to find out more about exactly what their scope of practice is after apply to a few positions.

I have also read one must pass a language test at a certain level, which will not be any problem since I already studied in German at a German university and was previously accepted to medical school in Germany.

The switzerland equivalent appears to be called a Pflegeexpert/-in, and they use the abbreviations HoeFa II and MNS (Master of Nursing Science).

So far the positions I have seen are pretty general and don't really explain what I would be doing, and I am thinking a lot of it will be management, even though the Nurse Practitioner is attempting to be developed there.

I practice now doing mostly Urgent Care, doing some Occupational medicine, and my next job will be ER. (I do locum tenens/travelling work and love it) I have studied to long and worked too hard to give up my role, so I need to find something similar.

At the same time I will be applying for positions in Germany at military bases, but so far that has been a dead end, despite actually having interviews in person at a few bases in Germany.

If there are even any nurses working in Switzerland who know how Pflegeexpertin are being utilized I would greatly appreciate it, and any networking tips would be appreciated.

Esp. if there are any US nurses working in Switzerland I would like to know how you went about doing it, how are you dealing with paying taxes in the US as well.

I may even make my situation more unique and complicated by possibly living in Germany on the border which i believe means i have to pay German taxes, work in Switzerland, and because I am American I have to pay US taxes as well.... I am trying to pay off student loans so I need to make a similar income to what I am here in the US.

Thanks for any input.

[NurseLeila]

Question for Nurses in Switzerland

I am a second generation Swiss-American family nurse practitioner student in California. It would be nice to hear from a nurse or "expert nurse" in Switzerland on the possibilities of finding work as a new grad. Being in northern California with the job shortage, I may not have worked as a nurse or NP by the time I get my MSN. Will it be possible to get a job in research or in a hospital in Switzerland with no experience???

[Skozicki]

Thank you all for your replies. My husband and I spent a few weeks in Switzerland this past December. While we loved the environment, culture, etc. With three children we don't think we will be able to afford to feed our children in Switzerland. The cost of living is a little more than what we experience currently but the most dramatic difference is food. While the staples of chocolate and cheese are relatively inexpensive, eggs and meats are quite a bit more than current prices. They do taste so much better though.

Shanda

[jobichan]

Respected madam,

I, jobichan Mathew compled diploma in nursing and having 8 yrs experience and completed german B1 and doing B2 level. I live i. India. I would like to work in Switzerland either in old age homes or hospital. Plz tell me any vacancies if there is

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Respected madam,

I, jobichan Mathew compled diploma in nursing and having 8 yrs experience and completed german B1 and doing B2 level. I live i. India. I would like to work in Switzerland either in old age homes or hospital. Plz tell me any vacancies if there is

None of the respondents to this thread have been on site in more than 4 years. I can guarantee the work situation has changed in that time. Either way I wouldn't hold out for a response after 4 years

[YesYesRN]

Hi, I graduated from a well known top nursing school in the USA. I only have 4 months of operating room nursing experience. Is it possible to find OR nusing jobs in Switzerland?? I might still need few more weeks of training. Any information is appreciated!

[LeilaNP]

To work in Switzerland as a nurse, you need to pass one of the national language exams at the B2 level, which is intermediate to advanced (check the Goethe website). After the language requirement is met, then one can transfer their license via the Swiss Red Cross.

There currently is the development of advanced practice nursing roles within a couple Swiss universities, however as of yet there is no formal scope of practice or certification.