Both the HF and FH nursing degrees are at tertiary level. This also means that both nursing degrees impart knowledge in a very practical way and work closely with the world of work. The difference between HF and FH in the nursing profession lies in the:

• Admission requirements: While an EFZ or technical secondary school certificate is sufficient for the HF Pflege (Höhere Fachschule Pflege), a Fachmaturität, Berufsmaturität or gymnasiale Maturität is required for Pflege FH (Fachhochschule) as a university profession.
• Duration: It is the same for both full-time variants - namely 3 years. In the part-time form, the FH takes 4 to 4.5 years and HF only three to four years.
• Teaching structure: Compared to HF, FH teaches in-depth scientific knowledge (research, theory and control). HF, on the other hand, focuses on expanding practical knowledge - also through close exchange with the Swiss job market.
• Degree: The HF diploma is a federal diploma in the field of nursing called dip. Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann HF. The FH degree is a bachelor's degree in nursing - i.e. Bachelor of Science (FH) in Nursing.
• Career prospects: Both degrees enable good placement in the job market - with HF in activities with practical, technical and management-related questions as a nursing specialist (possibly team leader or responsible learner) or with FH activities in the design, control and development of products and services, e.g. as a ward manager.
• Salary: The salary for nurses depends on qualifications, regionality, area of work and function. While the average salary range for nurses HF is CHF 5,300 to CHF 5,935 per month, the salary for nurses FH is between CHF 5,600 and CHF 6,699.

The difference between HF and FH in the nursing profession, as well as the right choice for yourself, therefore depends in particular on your previous education, but also on your later professional goals. Both degrees offer an opportunity for career changers in the nursing profession.

Continuing education, further training to become a qualified nurse CHE can be completed either full-time or part-time - as a part-time CHE nursing degree. The duration of study depends on the chosen model and is three years for a full-time course and three to four years for a part-time course, depending on professional activity and school attendance. However, the prerequisite is a workload of at least 50% in nursing. The College of Higher Education also offers the option of a shortened training period of two years for people with a Federal VET Diploma as a healthcare specialist (FaGe).

A survey conducted by Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch among those interested in the HF Nursing Specialist course shows the triggers for inquiries to schools. Around 48% of respondents see an online assessment as the trigger for their school inquiries. For 39% of survey participants, a recommendation triggered the school inquiry. In contrast, 13% already know the school they are enquiring about. Another important trigger for enquiring about a school for nurse training in Switzerland is the location, as shown by optional comments in the survey: "because I was interested in the location of the schools", "close to France and Germany", "close to home", "it can be reached from my address", "close to me", "is close to my home", "close to home", "very easy to reach by public transport" and "is in my town". However, according to the respondents, coincidence or targeted research can also be involved in the school inquiry: "discovered it by chance", "came across it on the internet", "due to a colleague", "start of course" and "after own research". Or a goal such as "I would like to further my education so that I can work better in nursing" or "I would like to learn the profession in depth".

The following previous education is usually required for admission to the College of Nursing:

• Completion of at least 3 years of basic vocational training with a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ), technical secondary school certificate or high school diploma
• Aptitude assessment (various admission procedures: Letter of application, aptitude test regarding professional, methodological and personal competence, practical insight, submission of a portfolio, assessment interview and possibly health certificate)

With a qualification as a healthcare specialist EFZ, a shortened course of study can be attended. Ask the schools about the extent to which these and other educational achievements can be credited.

You must be able to prove that you are employed at least 50 percent of the time during the Higher Vocational School of Nursing (HF Pflege) course in order to be admitted to this part-time course. It is important that you are not working in just any job, but that you can prove that you are employed in an institution recognized by the HF Pflege. You can find out everything you need to know about this directly from the higher vocational colleges. You will then know how you can become a nursing specialist.

HF nurses have various opportunities for further development:

• Courses offered by hospitals, clinics, specialist organizations and professional associations, etc.
• Higher professional examination (HFP) as
  • Specialist in infection prevention in the healthcare sector with a federal diploma
  • Naturopath with a federal diploma
  • Complementary therapist with a federal diploma
• At a university of applied sciences with a shortened course leading to a Bachelor of Science (FH) in Nursing
• Postgraduate level / specializations in related fields such as anaesthesia, intensive care, emergency care, long-term care and support, psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, surgery, health promotion, nursing advice or palliative care

The College of Nursing (HF Pflege) teaches the following course content in the advanced nursing training program:

• Nursing and nursing sciences
• Clinical expertise
• Human Sciences
• Work processes (care process, communication process, knowledge management, organizational process)

With these acquired skills, a qualified nursing specialist HF can take responsibility for the independent execution of the nursing process.

The amount of your salary during your training at a higher vocational school for nursing is dependent on the salary recommendations of the OdA G, the organization of the health sector in the individual cantons. The placement company pays the monthly salary, which in Zurich, for example, is currently CHF 1,100 in the first year of training, CHF 1,300 in the second year and CHF 1,500 in the third year. The schools will also provide you with more detailed information on salary recommendations.

A higher technical college of nursing offers you the opportunity to further your education to become a qualified nursing specialist HF and then find employment in the field of nursing and care for a wide range of people and illnesses. These can be children, adults, families, young people, long-term patients, mentally ill people, somatically ill people, people at home or in rehabilitation. Nursing professionals in the Swiss nursing professions can therefore be found in hospitals and homes for the disabled, in rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes, in old people's homes, psychiatric wards, outpatient facilities and care facilities outside of hospitals. You should decide on a specialization or field of work even before you start your training in HF nursing in order to receive targeted training.

We can answer this question with the results of a survey conducted by Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch among those interested in nursing training. According to these, 68% of respondents said "I would like to see if this course meets my needs". On the other hand, 21% stated that the HF nursing specialist course had been recommended to them. On the other hand, only 11% of survey participants stated that their interest was based on a mention of the HF nursing specialist course in job advertisements.

Of course, the interest in further training as a qualified nurse is also based on simply wanting to continue their education. Free text responses on nursing training also show this "I completed FAGE in 2016. Worked until now. Now I would like to continue my education...", "I work a lot in this field and would also like recognition", "I work in the hotel industry in a clinic", "To have more specialist knowledge and more skills", "I am interested in nursing in general", "Out of pure interest, it has always been a dream job", "To reorient myself professionally" and "I would like to expand my skills in Switzerland".

Other answers show the enjoyment of the job, the desire for change or a change of residence and a new activity as triggers for interest: "I worked as a paramedic and I really liked it", "on the way to becoming a paramedic....", "would like to change", "I have experience in this subject but abroad", "I have always been interested in it", "I would like to know what this training is like today", "would like to continue my education", "trained healthcare professional", "I have been interested in it for a long time, now it is time for a change", "improve my professional development", "because it interests me", "I like working with older people", "I am interested in the health sector", "I am interested in training with practice and theory", "I need to retrain due to an accident at work", "I would like to complete HF while working", "I enjoy dealing with various clients", "I would like to help other people, especially in crisis areas", "I would like to switch to the health sector.", "I love nursing", "Very motivated to work in this field", "Re-entry and professional qualification" and "Because I want to help people".

A survey of training graduates provides an idea of the time and effort involved in self-study for HF nursing specialists. According to this survey, graduates of continuing education courses spent the following amount of time per week:

• 1 percent less than one hour
• 8 percent one to two hours
• 20 percent three to four hours
• 18 percent five to six hours
• 19 percent seven to eight hours
• 11 percent nine to ten hours
• 8 percent eleven to fifteen hours
• 15 percent more than fifteen hours

It is indeed true that healthcare professionals (FaGe) with a federal certificate of competence (EFZ) can complete a shortened nursing training course at a higher technical college for nursing. As a healthcare assistant, you can shorten your training by 1800 hours, which means that you only have to study for 4 semesters instead of 6 and can start the third semester straight away and also complete the required aptitude internship at your previous company.

According to a survey conducted by this educational platform among those interested in the "Certified Nursing Specialist" course, the following frequency of learning types emerged:

• 34 percent Visual learner who learns by seeing
• 33 percent Motor learner who learns by doing
• 25 percent Communicative learner who learns through conversations or discussions with others
• 8 percent Auditory learner who learns by listening

The following nursing specialist requirements are helpful:

• Sense of responsibility
• Communication and teamwork skills
• Strong powers of observation
• High physical and mental resilience

In principle, a lateral entry into the nursing profession is possible. Training to become a qualified nurse CHE takes 3 years full-time or 4 years part-time. The following admission requirements must be met in order to start the course:

• Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET Diploma), vocational, technical or Baccalaureate, technical secondary school certificate or equivalent qualification
• Passed aptitude test

The admission requirements vary depending on the school and can be stricter, for example some schools require a Federal VET Diploma in the healthcare sector or they carry out admission procedures. This must be clarified on an individual basis.