Berufsverbleib von Diplomierten Rettungssanitäterinnen und -sanitätern HF in der Schweiz

In Switzerland, the shortage of specialised rescue service personnel is steadily increasing despite rising training figures. The circumstances and reasons for this shortage of specialised personnel have not yet been described in detail.

This article aims to close this gap. In order to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing career retention and career change in the emergency services and to identify fields of action to reduce the shortage of skilled workers, various factors influencing career retention and career change are recorded and analysed according to socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, educational background and linguistic regional characteristics.

For the first time, an anonymised online survey was conducted using 23 items to systematically collect data on the career paths of paramedics in all parts of the country. For this purpose, the graduates of all Swiss paramedic colleges from 2008 to 2023 were addressed in three languages (n = 2394).

With a response rate of 61% (n = 1453) and a representative distribution across gender and language compared to the overall population, it was possible to analyse several potential reasons for leaving the profession. For example, a lack of career opportunities and dissatisfaction with working hours and shift work models are the most frequently cited reasons for leaving the profession. The different follow-up solutions after leaving the emergency services (e.g. remaining in the healthcare sector or changing sectors) show various options for employers.