Human beings with their individual health, psychological and social needs and demands are the focus of nursing practice. A nurse’s work environment ranges from caring for patients and their next of kin to exchanges with specialists in healthcare institutions and other professional groups, such as social workers, insurance experts and case managers in a complex health care system.

The full-time undergraduate programme in Nursing takes three years to complete and offers dual benefits:

• a licence to practice as a fully qualified nurse (diplomierte/-r Pflegefachfrau/-mann FH)
• the applied degree Bachelor of Science ZHAW in Nursing

Study achievement is measured in ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits, which makes your degree comparable across Europe. The programme takes 180 ECTS credits to complete, with one credit equalling 30 hours of study workload.

Our BSc in Nursing fulfils the required national and international standards and educational requirements. The study programme consists of classroom teaching (40 percent) and self-directed study (60 percent). Classes are taught using a combination of mainly lecture-based teaching methods and independent, action-oriented learning (exercises, case studies, project work, workshop instruction and simulations).

• Fundamentals of professional nursing: fundamentals of science, nursing as a science, the nursing process, caring, symptom management, nursing specific age and patient groups, ethics, and education
• Physical examinations and interventions: nursing techniques, pharmacology, clinical assessment, assessment of families, best practice

Registered nurses work in a wide variety of health settings such as hospitals, psychiatric care, retirement and nursing homes, home care nursing (Spitex) or outpatient healthcare facilities. They perform nursing duties in different areas of expertise for all age groups – from infants to children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. With additional professional experience and continuing education qualifications, they can also take over team, run a department, or work as instructors. Other options include academic teaching, research and health promotion and prevention.

Registered nurses with a degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences have extensive practical, theoretical, and scientific expertise in the areas of health care, illness prevention and nursing.

During your studies, you will acquire competencies in seven different roles:

• As a communicator, you facilitate the building of trusting relationships and selective sharing of information.
• As an expert in your field, you perform specialist nursing tasks and make appropriate decisions.
• As a collaborator, you are proactive and participate in interdisciplinary teamwork.
• As a manager, you assume professional leadership, contribute to the effectiveness of the organisation, and develop your own professional career.
• As a health advocate, you are committed to helping patients responsibly within the health care system.
• As a scholar, you are committed to lifelong learning and the development, transfer, and application of knowledge.
• As a professional, you promote the professionalisation process in nursing through reflective practice.