Sandra works as a specialist in psychiatric nursing and care in psychiatric nursing at a private clinic in Sarnen. The 23-year-old enjoys caring for and looking after people with mental impairments. Sandra helps clients to organize their daily lives and deal with the effects of their personal illness. In everyday life, she demonstrates a high sense of responsibility, empathy, resilience and communication skills. Sandra recognizes and promotes the clients' resources in order to strengthen their independence. She helps to draw up, develop and evaluate the respective care plan. In the daily care process, Sandra documents the care work and formulates suggestions for adjustments. She also manages the relationship with relatives competently and professionally. She is convinced that she can use artistic means to support her work in psychiatric care in a meaningful way. Sandra would like to deepen her knowledge in the psychosocial field and take on a leadership role. To this end, she is attending the AFPE course for counselors in the psychosocial field. With this federal diploma in the psychosocial field, Sandra can focus on and solve problems in personal discussions with people seeking advice. This can involve individual, couple, family or group counseling. Sandra can help in stressful life situations, crises or conflicts. To do this, she asks about the personal life situation, evaluates it in detail and weighs it up. From this, Sandra derives the appropriate approach and main objectives in order to develop a structured counseling plan in terms of content and time. In the counseling process after building trust, she adapts to the client in a situational, individual and creative way. By encouraging personal responsibility and supporting the client's efforts, Sandra works with them to develop their patterns of behavior and experience, thereby improving their personal well-being. She uses different counseling approaches such as person-centered, body- or process-oriented methods. Sandra has increased her salary as well as her market value through her counselor training and Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE). She has also gained numerous new opportunities for further development, such as running her own practice or gaining access to a Bachelor's degree at a University of Applied Sciences.

Financial benefits of counselor training Counselor in the psychosocial field

As a consultant in the psychosocial field, Sandra will receive CHF 1,921 more per month than before the consultant training and will therefore have at least CHF 941,000 more at her disposal by the time she retires than if she had not taken this continuing education, Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE).

As this theoretical calculation does not take into account any further salary increases, promotions or interest on savings, the salary can still increase significantly.

Calculation in detail Consultant training

Continuing education, further training as a psychosocial counselor AFPE:

• 11 months, part-time
• School fees, documents: CHF 2,580 minus CHF 1,290 federal contribution = CHF 1,290
• Examination fee: CHF 3'200
• Total training costs: CHF 4'490

Wage difference and yield calculation:

• Difference in salary between the position as a specialist in psychiatric nursing and care and the position as a counselor in the psychosocial field: CHF 7,961 - CHF 6,040 = CHF 1,921 per month and CHF 23,052 per year (12 x CHF 1,921 = CHF 23,052)
• She recoups the entire cost of the counselor training of CHF 4,490 in just under 3 months with her higher salary as a counselor in the psychosocial field (CHF 4,490/ CHF 1,921 per month = 2.6 months)
• In the remaining 41 years until their retirement (24 to 65), this additional income will add up to CHF 945,132 (41 x CHF 23,052 = CHF 945,132)
• If we deduct the costs of the consultant training from this additional income, this leaves an additional sum of around CHF 940,642 available to the company(CHF 945'132 - CHF 4'490 = CHF 940'642)

Sources:

• The training costs correspond to an average of the courses offered in German-speaking Switzerland.
• Wages were calculated in the federal wage calculator www.salarium.ch with the following settings:
• Calculations Specialist in psychiatric nursing and carewith Federal Professional Examination before Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE):
  • Region: Central Switzerland
  • Industry: 86 Healthcare
  • Occupational group: 32 Healthcare assistants
  • Position in the company: Level 5 without management function
  • Hours per week: 42 hours
  • Education: Higher vocational training
  • Age: 23 years
  • Years of service: not specified
  • Company size: 50 and more employees
  • 12/13 monthly salary: 13 monthly salary (converted pro rata to 12 salaries)
  • Special payments: no
  • Monthly / hourly wage: Monthly wage
  • Result:Central value (median) ofCHF 6'040
• Calculations after the consultant trainingwith Advanced Federal Professional Examination Counselor in the Psychosocial Field (AFPE):
  • Region: Central Switzerland
  • Industry: 86 Healthcare
  • Professional group: 26 Lawyers, social scientists and cultural professions
  • Position in the company: Level 1+2 Upper and middle management
  • Hours per week: 42 hours
  • Education: Higher vocational training
  • Age: 24 years
  • Years of service: not specified
  • Company size: 50 and more employees
  • 12/13 monthly salary: 13 monthly salary (converted pro rata to 12 salaries)
  • Special payments: no
  • Monthly / hourly wage: Monthly wage
  • Result:Central value (median) ofCHF 7'961

(All figures as at November 2022)

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