Dr. Evelyn Huber, PhD, RN

Work at ZHAW

Position

Senior Lecturer

Focus

• Research in Family Systems Care
• Nursing Science, Research in Nursing
• Complexity of Nursing Care
• Case-Study Research, Mixed-Methods Research
• Gerontological Nursing

Teaching

• Modul Nursing Science 1, module lead
• Module Nursing Science 2, deputy module lead
• Module Bachelor Thesis, deputy module lead
• Module Scientific work and qualitativen research methods, seminar lead interprofessional teaching
• Module Scientific work and quantitative research methods, seminar lead interprofessional teaching

Experience

• Senior Lecturer
  Insitute of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
  09 / 2020 - today
• Research Associate
  Institute Nursing Science, Department Public Health, University of Basel, Switzerland
  06 / 2019 - 05 / 2020
• Clinical Nursing Scientist
  University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
  12 / 2012 - 11 / 2017
• Research Associate
  Diaconia Neumunster, Zollikerberg, Switzerland
  06 / 2003 - 11 / 2012
• Diploma Nurse, Ward manager
  Hospital Zollikerberg, Switzerland
  01 / 1996 - 12 / 1999
• Diploma Nurse
  Hospital Swiss Nursing School Zurich, Switzerland
  01 / 1993 - 11 / 1995

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Philosophical Doctor / Nursing Science
  Department Nursing Science, Faculty of Health, University Witten/Herdecke, Germany
  02 / 2015 - 07 / 2020
• Master in Science / Nursing Science
  Institute Nursing Science, Department Public Health, University Basel, Switzerland
  09 / 2001 - 02 / 2004
• Bachelor in Science / Nursing Science
  Institute Nursing Science, Department Public Health, University Basel, Switzerland
  09 / 2000 - 08 / 2001
• Registered Nurse Integrated Nursing Care / Nursing Care
  Nursing School Zurich, Switzerland
  11 / 1988 - 11 / 1992

Continuing Education

• Certificate of Advanced Studies in Higher & Professional Education
  School of Management and Law, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
  08 / 2022
• Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Gerontology today"
  Centre for Gerontology, University Zurich, Switzerland
  12 / 2005
• Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing Level 1
  Nursing School Zurich, Switzerland
  04 / 1998

Network

Membership of networks

• International Family Nursing Association
• Swiss Society for Health in Intellectual Disability

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1572-551X

Awards

• Winner of the concept and project competition on living and housing in old age
  Heinrich and Erna Walder Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
  11 / 2011
• Second prize for ageing research
  Vontobel-Stiftung
  10 / 2004
• Second prize for poster presentation
  International Congress for Applied Nursing Research at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
  05 / 2004

Social media

• Linkedin
• ResearchGate

Projects

• Sustained implementation of family systems care in the Swiss healthcare system: a realist evaluation using a mixed-methods multiple-case study design / Project leader / ongoing
• Care for Rare Navigator: Digital AI-supported counseling service for families with rare diseases / Team member / ongoing

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Huber, E. et al. (2026) ‘Realization of a family systems care unit : a real-life laboratory for clinical practice, education, and research at a Swiss university of applied sciences’, Journal of Family Nursing, 32(1), pp. 44–59. doi: 10.1177/10748407251411202.
• Häusermann, S. U. et al. (2025) ‘Use of high-fidelity simulation in advancing palliative care skills in nursing students : a convergent mixed methods study’, Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 15(1), p. 62. doi: 10.5430/jnep.v15n1p62.
• Wildhaber, S. P. et al. (2025) ‘Gaining more ease in everyday life as a family with a child with intellectual disability through family-systemic therapeutic conversations : an exploratory single-case study’, Journal of Family Nursing, 31(4), pp. 291–302. doi: 10.1177/10748407251392885.
• Rothweiler, J. et al. (2025) ‘Abhängigkeit akzeptieren, um Selbstständigkeit zu wahren – Erfahrungen und Bedürfnisse zu Hause lebender, chronisch erkrankter, älterer Menschen : eine qualitative Studie’, Journal für Qualitative Forschung in Pflege- und Gesundheitswissenschaft, 12(1), pp. 51–59.
• Huber, E. et al. (2024) ‘A real-life laboratory setting for clinical practice, education, and research in family systems care : protocol for a transformational action research study’, JMIR Research Protocols, 13(e53090). doi: 10.2196/53090.
• Häusermann, S. U. et al. (2023) ‘Effects of high-fidelity simulation on self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing education regarding family systems care and early palliative care’, Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 13(12). doi: 10.5430/jnep.v13n12p1.
• Widmer, A., Wiegand, K. and Huber, E. (2023) ‘Wenn Abhängigkeit verletzlich macht : Ansprüche von Pflegeheimbewohnenden an eine würdevolle Pflege’, Pflege, 36(5), pp. 277–285. doi: 10.1024/1012-5302/a000929.
• Yip, O. et al. (2022) ‘Health and social care of home-dwelling frail older adults in Switzerland : a mixed methods study’, BMC Geriatrics, 22(857). doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03552-z.
• Yip, O. et al. (2021) ‘A contextual analysis and logic model for integrated care for frail older adults living at home : the INSPIRE project’, International Journal of Integrated Care, 21(2), p. 9. doi: 10.5334/ijic.5607.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Häusermann, S. et al. (2025) ‘High-fidelity simulation promoting self-efficacy in nursing students regarding family systems care in hospitalized adults in palliative situations : a mixed-methods study’, in 17th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC), Perth, Australia (online), 17-20 June 2025. ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-33456.
• Huber, E. and Preusse-Bleuler, B. (2025) ‘Advancing while keeping the balance : the clinical healthcare team’s perspectives on establishing a university-based family systems care unit’, in 17th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC), Perth, Australia (online), 17-20 June 2025.
• Skrbec, I., Preusse-Bleuler, B. and Huber, E. (2025) ‘That others listen to me! Gaining confidence as a family with a child with autism in family-systemic therapeutic conversations : a qualitative, longitudinal embedded single-case study’, in 17th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC), Perth, Australia (online), 17-20 June 2025.
• Huber, E. et al. (2025) ‘Case-study research to investigate how family-systems-centered therapeutic conversations support families of a child with intellectual disability’, in 4th International Conference of the German Society of Nursing Science (DGP), Berlin, Germany, 8-9 May 2025.

Other publications

Huber, E., Kleinknecht-Dolf, M. and Spirig, R. (2020) ‘Mit Aufmerksamkeit, Fachwissen, Erfahrung und Zuwendung : Fallgeschichten zu Komplexität der Pflege im Akutspital’, Krankenpflege, 2020(10), pp. 17–19. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-20676.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Häusermann, S. U. et al. (2025) ‘«Ich kann das!» : High Fidelity Simulation zur Selbstwirksamkeits-Förderung in familienzentrierter Palliative Care’, in 1. Zürcher Simulationsforum, Zürich, Schweiz, 12. Dezember 2025.
• Häusermann, S. U. et al. (2025) ‘«Ich kann das!» : High Fidelity Simulation zur Selbstwirksamkeits-Förderung in der palliativen Pflege’, in Nationaler Palliative Care Kongress, Biel, Schweiz, 26.-27. November 2025.
• Hilpertshauser, M., Huber, E. and Preusse-Bleuler, B. (2024) ‘Promoting competence in family systems care by integrating practice, teaching and research : development of a real-live-lab for therapeutic conversations with families’, in 6th Nordic Conference in Family Health and Care, Odense, Denmark, 21-23 May 2024.
• Huber, E. et al. (2024) ‘Generating knowledge while counseling families : case study research on therapeutic conversations in the Family Systems Care Unit in Switzerland’, in 6th Nordic Conference in Family Health and Care, Odense, Denmark, 21-23 May 2024.
• Häusermann, S. U. et al. (2023) ‘«Ich kann das!» – High Fidelity Simulation in einer familienzentrierten, palliativen Pflegesituation in der Ausbildung von Bachelor Pflege-Studierenden : eine quasi-experimentelle repeated measures Studie’, in Interdisziplinäres Symposium zur Simulation in der Medizin (InSiM), Reutlingen, Deutschland, 29.-30. September 2023.
• Preusse-Bleuler, B. et al. (2023) ‘The Family Systems Care Unit FSCU, Winterthur : how a vision comes alive at the Zurich University Of Applied Sciences ZHAW, Switzerland’, in International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC), Pre-Conference Workshop, Dublin, Ireland, 20 June 2023.

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

• Huber, E., Kleinknecht-Dolf, M., Kugler, C., & Spirig, R. (2020). ["One always has to be watchful": Categorisation of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals]. Pflege, 33(3), 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1024/1012-5302/a000738 ("Man muss stets aufmerksam sein".) Award: Editor's Choice
• Huber, E., Kleinknecht-Dolf, M., Kugler, C., & Spirig, R. (2021). Patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals – an updated concept. Scand J Caring Sci, 35(1), 178-195. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12833
• Huber, E., Kleinknecht-Dolf, M., Kugler, C., Müller, M., & Spirig, R. (2020). Validation of the instrument "Complexity of Nursing Care" – A mixed-methods study. Nursing Open, 7(1), 212–224. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.383
• Gurtner, C., Spirig, R., Staudacher, D., & Huber, E. (2018). [Patient-related complexity in nursing care - collective case studies in the acute care hospital]. Pflege, 31(5), 237-244. https://doi.org/10.1024/1012-5302/a000626
• Kentischer, F., Kleinknecht-Dolf, M., Spirig, R., Frei, I. A., & Huber, E. (2018). Patient-related complexity of care: a challenge or overwhelming burden for nurses - a qualitative study. Scand J Caring Sci, 32, 204-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12449
• Huber, E., Kleinknecht-Dolf, M., Müller, M., Kugler, C., & Spirig, R. (2017). Mixed-method Research Protocol: Defining and Operationalizing Patient-related Complexity of Nursing Care in Acute Care Hospitals. J Adv Nurs, 73(6), 1491–1501. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13218
• Huber, E. (2009): [Eating in Hospital - an Interdisciplinary Challenge]. Pflege 22, 361-370.
• Huber, E. (2008): [OLA: Optimizing Quality of Life in Old Age: Development of a Questionnaire on Satisfaction of Relatives of Nursing Home Residents. Pflege 21(5), 319–326.
• Huber, E., Spirig, R. (2004): [Mastering life with pain - older women as experts in dealing with chronic musculoskeletal pain]. Pflege 17(5), 296-305.

Other publications

• Eibel, G., Huber, E. (2013): [Designing meeting spaces with special consideration of light and colours]. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Ethik 4, 49-63.
• Huber, E., Rüegger, H. (2013): Huber, E., Rüegger, H. (2013): [Gerontological, nursing and ethical aspects in the implementation of adult protection law]. Pflegerecht - Pflegewissenschaft 01, 2-13. 01, 2-13.
• Fäh, B., Rüegger, H., Huber, E., Wiesli, U. (2012): [Gerontological care: paradigm for supporting elderly people with high fragility. Culture of humanity integrates the very elderly into society]. Curaviva 1, 29-32.
• Huber, E., Rüegger, H. (2012): [Capacity of judgement: Approaching a key concept, in: New adult protection law. Basic information, work aids and sample documents for retirement and care institutions]. Curaviva Schweiz, Fachbereich Alter, S. 14-16.
• Huber, E., Rüegger H. (2012): [Medical measures: Self-determination also for those lacking capacity, in: Neues Erwachsenenschutzrecht. Basic information, working aids and sample documents for retirement and care institutions]. Curaviva Schweiz, Fachbereich Alter, S. 26-30.
• Huber, E. (2011): [Light and colours in retirement homes. A contribution to quality of life]. NOVAcura 6, 54-55.
• Huber, E., Paltzer, A. (2010): [Lifelong disability. Participation in old age - despite limitations]. Krankenpflege 5: 18-21.
• Huber, E., Wiesli U. (2009): [Chronic diseases in old age: frailty as a nursing challenge]. Krankenpflege 7, 15-17.
• Eglin, A., Huber, E., Rüegg, A., Schröder, B., Stahlberger, K., Wuillemin, R. (2009): [Discovering what sustains us. Spirituality in the everyday lives of people with dementia. Reflections and suggestions]. Theologischer Verlag TVZ.
• Huber, E. (2008): [D-Mobil: Living at home thanks to mobile nursing home services]. Clinicum 3, 55-57.
• Monkhouse, C., Huber, E., Eyers, I. (2007): Quality of life and quality of care in nursing homes: need for unbundling. Krankenpflege 9, 16-19.
• Huber, E., Keller, E. (2007): [Community of destiny - alliance of convenience: complex partnership with relatives]. In Schmid, C.: [Places of living - places of dying. Palliative care in retirement and care institutions]. Curaviva Verband Heime und Institutionen Schweiz, S. 21-28.
• Eglin, A., Huber, E., Kunz, R., Schröder, B., Stahlberger, K., Urfer, C., Wuillemin, R. (2006): [Sanctifying life. Spiritual support for people with dementia. A guide.] Theologischer Verlag TVZ.
• Huber, E., Decurtins, S., Burkhard, J., Rüegg, A. (2006): [Falls. Knowing and minimising risks. Answers to questions from professional practice]. Stiftung Diakoniewerk Neumünster – Schweizerische Pflegerinnenschule und Curaviva Verband Heime und Institutionen Schweiz
• Huber, E., Bischofberger, I. (2004): [Quality development and research - how do they go hand in hand?] www.PrInternetNet.info 7.

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