Project

Transitions from upper-secondary level training in health care to tertiary-level nursing programmes: Viewpoints of health care institutions in the Canton of Bern

Graduates of VET programmes in healthcare are the largest target group for potential enrolment in tertiary-level nursing programmes and this has a major impact on the availability of qualified nurses in each canton. Based on the current nursing care plan devised by the Canton of Bern’s Directorate of Health, Social Affairs and Integration (GSI), the number of enrolments in tertiary-level nursing programmes in the Canton of Berne is too low to satisfy the demand for qualified nursing staff in the future.

Adobe Stock / spotmatikphoto

An initial study of tertiary-level nursing programmes was conducted as part of a situation analysis that was co-commissioned by the Canton of Bern’s Office for Upper-Secondary Education and Training and its partners, GSI, BZ Pflege and OdA Gesundheit Bern. This initial study concluded, among other things, that greater attention should be paid to the role that health care institutions can play in encouraging enrolments and admission to tertiary-level nursing programmes, particularly with regard to information, recruitment, selection procedures and internship planning.

For this reason, GSI has commissioned the Swiss Observatory for Vocational Education and Training (OBS SFIVET) to perform a situation analysis and needs assessment at health care institutions. In this study, the viewpoints, role and needs of health care institutions on the subject of VET graduate enrolment in tertiary-level nursing programmes were examined in more detail. Based on the outcome of analysis, measures were developed to increase and stabilise the rate of transitions of VET graduates in healthcare to tertiary-level nursing programmes in the Canton of Bern.

Method

Particular attention were paid to the following key issues:

  1. What impact do structural aspects or combinations of aspects (coverage area, size of institution, region, skills mix, etc.) have on the workplace training practices of health care institutions in the Canton of Bern for both upper-secondary VET programmes in healthcare and tertiary-level nursing programmes?
  2. What training strategies do health care institutions in the Canton of Bern adopt for these two different levels of training? What incentives and benefits do they see in providing workplace training at these two levels of training (considering opportunities, risks, time frame)?
  3. What role do health care institutions currently play in terms of information, recruitment, selection and qualification of prospective healthcare assistants and nurses?
  4. Do health care institutions have any suggestions on how to encourage more VET graduates to enrol in tertiary-level nursing programmes at professional education institutions (e.g. through information, recruitment and selection of potential candidates)? What role do they wish to play in these processes?

In order to answer these questions, three data analyses were carried out, with each one building from the previous one:

  • A statistical evaluation of GSI records on the involvement of health care institutions in the provision of workplace training in the Canton of Bern
  • An online survey of health care institutions in the Canton of Bern to gather information about the factors influencing the provision of workplace training for upper-secondary level VET programmes in healthcare and tertiary-level nursing programmes. This survey will also be intended to ascertain the factors influencing the willingness of VET graduates in healthcare to enrol in tertiary-level nursing programmes
  • In-depth telephone interviews with a selection of health care institutions

The results of the three data analyses were then summarised and recommendations were made for subsequent action.