40 years in nursing care at Zollikerberg Hospital

Dear Sabine, 40 years at Zollikerberg Hospital, a real milestone. What do you remember most when you think back to the past 40 years?

I particularly remember the introductory period at the Maternité - at that time still in the "Pflegi" at Römerhof. In 1998, we merged with the Diakoniewerk Neumünster foundation and moved to the Zollikerberg hospital.

But I also remember the tasks well, such as washing up in bed or breastfeeding, which is much more important today than it was back then.

In your opinion, what has changed in the nursing profession over the last 40 years?

The amount of counselling has increased dramatically. Pregnant women and new mothers are a little more insecure today than they used to be. I often see that they are very afraid of doing something wrong. Women today also prepare themselves very well for the birth and the time afterwards. They tend to forget that the birth and the time afterwards often don't turn out exactly as planned.

In the past, the job was much more focussed on the actual care. Counselling and support were much less important back then.

What challenges do you face in your day-to-day work?

It's not always easy to set the right priorities. But communication between the different services can also sometimes be a bit of a challenge.

For me personally, it's also getting my bearings after a few weeks off. I work a 60 per cent workload. But I divide it up so that I work a lot for a few weeks and then have a longer period off. This makes a lot of sense for me, as I can look after the same women over a certain period of time. Ultimately, this is an advantage for both the woman and us carers.

What do you particularly like about Zollikerberg Hospital as your employer?

That's a difficult question. For me, the team is the most important thing of all. After all, the work as a nurse is more or less the same everywhere. But if the team isn't right, the work can be great. Then it doesn't work. Of course, I still appreciate my employer's appreciation in the form of the four weeks' extra holiday, the bonus and the beautiful bouquet of flowers.