Three working groups were formed within the Commission. They focus on the implementation and evaluation of the goals of the nursing initiative adopted by the Swiss population entitled to vote on 28 November 2021.

Project 1: Staff allocation (nurse-patient ratio) and training offensive

Project group one investigates the necessary staffing ratio (also called nurse-to-patient ratio) and the associated enforcement of nursing education. The combination of these two topics makes it possible, by defining the nurse-to-patient ratio (depending on the setting) x nursing recipients (current and projected): Number of nurses - expected loss of workforce to derive how many nurses need to be trained at the different levels of education today and in the future.

As this will be an ongoing issue in nursing, another question is how this can be monitored at a public health level over time so that we do not face a shortfall of nurses now and in future.

Project 2: Patient safety, quality of care and skill mix

If patient safety and the quality of care are seen as outcomes that depend on effort in relation to cost, then the question is who should do what in a care situation or process to achieve the best possible outcomes. It is necessary to define how this can be monitored, evaluated and, over time, translated into national recommendations at different local levels (real world).

Project 3: Care models, working conditions and job satisfaction.

The nurse-patient ratio influences job satisfaction and therefore working conditions. A certain skill mix may be part of a (new) care model. However, there are other working conditions that have an impact on job satisfaction, which in turn includes different aspects. The working group identified the subsequent priorities:

• Focus on a comprehensive definition including specific criteria of what makes a health care delivery model a nurse practitioner model.
• What criteria are recommended at national level to capture job satisfaction; and
• What variables do we propose to make working conditions visible and thus comparable and adaptable?