Nurse Days 2026: day and night, shaping the future of nursing
«For me, ‘Nurse Days’ offer a unique opportunity to give our valued nursing profession the recognition it deserves, to discover inspiring perspectives on the future of nursing, to learn fascinating insights from specialist talks, to network with colleagues and to gather new ideas for everyday practice.» Fabienne Gisler, Director of Nursing, Rosenklinik Rapperswil.
This is how Fabienne Gisler summed up the conclusion of this year’s Nurse Days. From 17 to 18 September, nurses from across the Swiss Medical Network gathered at the Bellevue Palace in Bern. The event began on Thursday evening with a Gatsby-themed drinks reception and dinner – a convivial occasion designed to help participants get to know one another across clinics and regions – before the main programme got underway on Friday.
Pietro Fabrizio, from the Swiss Medical Network, opened the day by presenting the vision and objectives of Nurse Days 2026 in German, French and Italian, reflecting the network’s linguistic diversity. Drissia El Archi, Director of Care Projects, then introduced the current challenges facing the nursing profession.
The day centred on a key question: how is the role of nurses evolving?
Teresa Gyuriga Perez, cantonal nurse for the Canton of Vaud, placed the situation within the context of the Swiss healthcare system. Prof. Dr Christian Eissler from Bern University of Applied Sciences explained the challenges surrounding the training of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in Switzerland, including the legislative framework. For Anita Marcella Heggli, is the new generation really the problem… or is it simply forcing us to rethink our organisations? Work-life balance, leadership, trust, psychological safety. April Bursiek, Senior Nurse Advisor at the Mayo Clinic, provided an international perspective on the role of APNs in A&E versus inpatient care, with genuine autonomy in assessment, clinical decision-making and prescribing; however, Switzerland still has a long way to go in this regard – an autonomy to which nurses in integrated care aspire, as presented by Cecilia Arena of Rete Sant’Anna.
This was followed by collaborative workshops, providing a genuine opportunity for healthcare professionals to exchange views on various topics, such as the patient as an active participant in their own care journey and nurse retention. This was followed by the poster competition, where Spital Zofingen and Clinica Sant’Anna, amongst others, presented innovative practices relating to the role of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in geriatrics or professional development, where a ‘hunch’ or ‘intuition’ can be validated by a nursing diagnosis.
Philippe Ammann followed with a session devoted to Just Culture, whether in aviation or healthcare, focusing on building a genuine culture of learning by ensuring the psychological safety of healthcare staff, thereby guaranteeing patient safety, staff commitment and retention.
To round off the day, chaired by Raymond Loretan, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vincent Michellod, Chief Revenue Officer, Sophie Ley, President of the ASI-SBK, and Drissia El Archi, representing the nursing management team, took part in a round-table discussion on the nursing initiative: how can this project be funded without reducing the provision of care or compromising the quality of care? Ratios, but no standardisation; flexibility, whilst ensuring a mix of grades and skills.
Whilst supporting their professional development and the evolution of their practices, every year Nurse Days provide a special forum for discussion and knowledge-sharing amongst nurses across the entire network. Thank you to our speakers for the richness and complementary nature of their perspectives.
