ブックタイトルThe Journal of Humanitarian Studies

概要

The Journal of Humanitarian Studies

Journal of Humanitarian Studies Vol. 4, 2015? the rapidly aging populations of industrialised countries? changing epidemiology and the significant resources that will be necessary to deal with chronicdiseases and dementias? fewer and aging general practitioners? the shortage of nursing staff? the need to contain healthcare costs? the switch from hospital-based care to care at home? ever increasing social pressures for safety at all costs and the prevention of critical incidents anderrors? professional practice becoming increasing evidence-based and subject expert consensusWith regard to its aging population, current trends in Switzerland suggest that the number of old peoplerequiring care will have doubled by 2050. In parallel with this, life expectancy is projected to have risenfrom 76 to 84 years old for men, and from 82 to 89 years old for women.Increased pressures on the healthcare system will gohand in hand with increased needs for healthcare staff,yet demographic trends suggest that the absolute numberof younger people is set to diminish significantly. If wewish to avoid either a breakdown in the social welfareand healthcare system or healthcare rationing, then ourimmediate objective should be the preparation of a systemcapable of meeting these challenges. In Switzerland, thisnew system will have to strike a delicate balance betweenthe imperatives of quality training programmes, anethically acceptable immigration of new carers and themobilisation of family caregivers and volunteers.La Source’s Simulation Laboratory cLa SourceWith this in mind, Switzerland has developed a professional qualification for care and community healthassistants (ASSC, Assistant en Soins et Sante Communautaire) which runs in parallel to the training fornurses. A bright future seems assured for close collaborations between qualified ASSCs (after a three-yearapprenticeship) and graduate nurses (after a three-year Bachelor’s degree). ASSCs will primarily take onbasic care roles and aid with daily living, as well as non-complex technical procedures when under thesupervision of a nurse.Furthermore, vertical links between the ASSC curriculum and the nursing Bachelor's curriculum mean thatnumerous young people are being attracted by the opportunity to advance their careers. As a result, thenumber of undergraduates at La Source has increased spectacularly over the last eight years: from 280 in2006 to 730 in 2014 or a rise of over 260%. These figures strongly suggest that the possibility of earninga Bachelor’s degree has greatly increased the appeal of nursing studies and has even been boosted by theoption of continuing to a Master’s or a PhD. This supposition is further strengthened by the stagnation inthe number of nurses observed in the German-speaking part of the country, where a university educationis somewhat less highly valued.With regard to future nursing needs, La Source agrees with the Canadian Nurses Association that currenttrends may completely reverse the existing ratio of 75% of nurses working in hospital environments and25% working in the community: indeed, patients’homes will become the primary care environment.Changing epidemiology will, of course, determine future needs. Increasing life expectancies and人道研究ジャーナルVol. 4, 201537