Advanced practice nurses in Swiss primary care – a cross-sectional survey on students' perspectives on primary care as a potential working place

Abstract Background: The increasing health burden due to an aging and multimorbid population pressures primary care in Switzerland. New care models are needed to support existing structures. Advanced practice nurses with a focus on primary care, nurse practitioners, could be a solution to strengthen the sector. The profession and role of nurse practitioners are fairly new in Switzerland. Additionally, barriers like missing regulations complicate the integration of nurse practitioners into primary care. Aim: To assess current master of nursing students’ attitudes and perspectives on working in primary care. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. The web-based survey was distributed through the head of studies at every Swiss university or University of Applied Sciences with the program Master of Nursing. Data on the participants' chosen university and majors, future workplace, attitudes toward primary care, and demographic data were gathered from May to November 2023. The quantitative data was analyzed using logistic regression. Results: A total of 178 master of nursing students took part in the study, of whom 63% (112) considered primary care as a potential future workplace. Of those with a nurse practitioner major, 90% are considering working in primary care. The most important factors for their career choice were “career development” and “job satisfaction” which were chosen by 98% of participants. More than half (56%) of master of nursing students cited the current lack of reimbursement as the most negative factor influencing their attitude towards working in primary care, followed by politics (36%). Conclusions: The majority of master's nursing students had a positive attitude towards working in primary care. The participants stated that nurse practitioners will play a major role in primary care in the future. However, there is room for improvement on a national level: more programs with a nurse practitioner major at Swiss universities, a legal framework and billing rate, and a standardized role definition in primary care. Clinical trial number: not applicable.