Leadership and professional development in nursing: Urs Wildbolz on his journey

What drives you in your work? What are your main motivators?

I've probably always been more of a doer type, someone who likes to get stuck in and isn't afraid to put myself out there. My biggest motivation is definitely my employees. What I find particularly cool is seeing how they develop - and you automatically develop with them. Over the years, we have become better together, both in terms of conflict resolution and our performance.

Then there's the work in the hospital with the patients and their relatives, which I still find extremely exciting. I used to be particularly fascinated by cutting-edge medicine, especially visceral surgery. Here at Zollikerberg Hospital, I opted for operations and came into contact with acute geriatrics - and I have to say, I think it's extremely cool. I am confronted with incredible stories and am always surprised at how older, elderly people manage to leave hospital independently. That really is an amazing realisation. The way we deal with patients in acute geriatrics is also completely different.

Was there ever a moment when you doubted your career choice - and if so, how did you deal with it?

I've definitely had moments like that in my life. I didn't originally work in nursing from the outset, but first completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter. I worked in this profession for four years, which I really enjoyed. Between the ages of 20 and 25, I also became fascinated by the hospital sector. During recruit school, I had the opportunity to do an internship in the emergency department, which really fascinated me. At that time, I decided to start the DN II training programme (diploma level 2), even if it meant giving up something.

Especially at the beginning of my training, I didn't really feel at home in my first internship; the team constellation wasn't a good fit either. But I knew that I could return as a carpenter at any time. Later, when I met the aforementioned ward manager during my nursing training, it was clear to me that I would stay in nursing.

It takes perseverance, because we're talking about personal development here, which often takes place when you're overstretched. You don't change without these challenges. At some point, you meet people who inspire you and then you stay.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in their career?

On the one hand, I would advise them to look for a company, a team or a station where they really feel that they are supported - just as they are and where they can develop. For me personally, this has always been more important than the monetary aspect, and I have always paid a lot of attention to this. You have to build up your career continuously: It should be a mixture of staying in one job to develop there and perhaps also completing further training at the same time. But then also have the courage to tackle something new. For me, the whole thing is a marathon and not a sprint. I think we need to get away a little from the idea that we have a steep career path and will eventually reach a plateau. I think it's more about finding something that you're passionate about and can develop - then success will come naturally. In my opinion, putting yourself under too much pressure is counterproductive.

I often even had the feeling that I got these jobs by chance - which was of course no coincidence. When I realised that I needed something new again, something new came along. But I never had an overarching masterplan.

How do you define success in your role or in your professional field, and do you feel fulfilled in this aspect?

A particular success for me personally has been how we have been able to build up our team in recent years, especially with the switch to acute geriatrics. Despite a few changes, we were able to recruit new people. Together with those responsible for education at the Department of Internal Medicine, we have put our training programme on a solid footing. These are real milestones for me.

However, success is often difficult to measure and there are only a few things that I can attribute to myself alone. We usually initiate something or support processes, but ultimately we always do things as a team. That's why I prefer to see it this way: it makes me happy when something is successfully implemented in our environment. For example, when we manage to establish a culture on our ward in which trainees and students enjoy working. Or when patients say when they are discharged that they felt they were in good hands. It is also a success if we can not only retain employees, but also attract new ones and they are happy to stay with us for longer. Or when we manage to build something new across disciplines.

How do you manage to create a balance between work and private life? Do you have any tips for a healthy work-life balance?

As a manager in particular, it's part of the job that you take things home with you from time to time. It's always a question of degree - how much space you give these things in your own life. A lot of impressions accumulate during the day, and things often pop into your head when you get home in the evening. It is important to learn how to deal with this in your own role development.

Then there are also phases of life in which you are more challenged than usual. You have to be able to accept these phases. As a manager, it is particularly important to learn to "endure" - to leave things unresolved from time to time: Perhaps the duty rota has not yet been finalised, an absence has not yet been compensated for or the necessary staff have not yet been recruited for the next two months. And yet you shouldn't let yourself go crazy. Somehow it has always gone on.

Exercise plays a crucial role in my health. I cycle a lot, which is almost a kind of psychotherapy for me (laughs). Cycling allows me to think about a lot of things.

I also have two small children. On the one hand, they challenge me, but at the same time I want to be present and in the moment, I want to fulfil their needs. Since having children, a lot of things have become more relative. The challenge of juggling everything - family, work and my own needs - has also grown and somehow you have to find your way. That is also a development.