WALLISELLEN, SWITZERLAND — Albanian nurses from across Switzerland, together with guests from Kosovo, gathered in Wallisellen near Zurich on Saturday, September 12, for the official opening ceremony of the League of Albanian Nurses in Switzerland (LISZ).
The event, held at Andulino and moderated by Pritë Bytyçi, marked the first public appearance of LISZ as a professional organization bringing together Albanian nurses and nursing professionals living and working in Switzerland.
At the center of the evening was the presentation of LISZ’s vision by its president, Yllka Zuzaku-Mustafa, who began by reflecting on the history of nursing and its transformation from an act of human care into a profession founded on knowledge, competence, responsibility and science.
“History of nursing does not begin at a university. It does not begin with a degree. And, in fact, it does not even begin in a hospital. The history of nursing begins much earlier — at the moment when one person cared for another,” Zuzaku-Mustafa said in opening her presentation.
“Different histories, one profession”
A significant part of the presentation focused on Albanian nurses working in Switzerland. Some were educated in Switzerland, while others arrived with professional qualifications and experience from Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia and other countries.
According to Zuzaku-Mustafa, this diversity is also one of the greatest strengths of the new organization.
“We have different histories. We have different paths. But we have one profession in common. And we have a great deal to give to this profession,” she said.
She noted that Switzerland is home to many Albanian nurses with extensive knowledge, experience and different professional profiles, but that they often do not know one another.
LISZ was created precisely to connect this professional potential.
“This is exactly where the idea of LISZ came from — the League of Albanian Nurses in Switzerland. One common voice. One common vision,” Zuzaku-Mustafa said.
Strengthening the profession, networking and education
LISZ has built its mission around four main pillars: recognition of the nursing profession, professional networking, education and development, and patient quality and safety.
Its broader goal is to strengthen the profession, connect professionals, share knowledge and build bridges between the Albanian nursing community and the Swiss healthcare system.
One of the evening’s strongest messages concerned the professional identity of nurses themselves.
“We are not ‘just’ nurses. We are healthcare professionals. We have knowledge. We have competencies. We make decisions. We carry responsibility. And our work has value,” Zuzaku-Mustafa emphasized.
The organization also aims to support healthcare professionals who arrive in Switzerland with qualifications obtained abroad and face challenges involving language, documentation, recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications.
According to the vision presented at the ceremony, professionals should not have to navigate that process alone. LISZ intends to provide guidance while creating a professional network through which experience and information can be shared.
A bridge between the Albanian community and Swiss healthcare
Another important dimension of LISZ’s work is its potential role in helping Albanian-speaking patients and families navigate Switzerland’s healthcare system.
“We know the language. We know the culture. We know the Swiss system,” Zuzaku-Mustafa said.
She argued that Albanian nurses can serve as an important bridge between the Albanian-speaking community and Swiss healthcare institutions, particularly in health education, prevention and orientation.
The organization’s ambitions, however, extend beyond Switzerland.
LISZ also intends to establish professional bridges with Kosovo through training programs, projects, professional exchanges and cooperation with institutions.
Zuzaku-Mustafa stressed that such cooperation should not be understood as a one-way transfer of knowledge from Switzerland to Kosovo.
“We want exchange. Because there are also excellent professionals in Kosovo and experiences from which we can learn. Both sides have something to give,” she said.
Albanian-Swiss political and healthcare representatives welcome LISZ
The opening ceremony brought together representatives of institutions, professional organizations and the healthcare sector from both Switzerland and Kosovo.
Swiss National Council member Arbër Bullakaj attended the ceremony and congratulated LISZ’s leadership and members on establishing the new professional organization.
Bullakaj highlighted the importance of creating a structure capable of bringing together Albanian healthcare professionals and expressed his readiness to support and cooperate with the organization in the future.
Kosovo was represented by a delegation led by MSc. Lulzim Gashi, head of the Nursing Division at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (SHSKUK).
Gashi congratulated LISZ on its establishment and expressed his readiness for professional cooperation and exchanges of experience between healthcare professionals in Kosovo and Switzerland.
With humor, while emphasizing the central role nurses play in patient care, he told the audience:
“When the doctor says that the patient is stable, the family calms down; when the nurse says it, even the doctor can relax.”
The event also featured Gazmend Haliti, president of the League of Albanian Physicians in Switzerland, who welcomed the creation of LISZ and expressed readiness for close cooperation between the two professional organizations.
Such cooperation, he said, could create opportunities for joint initiatives and future healthcare projects.
Building a professional network across borders
The launch of LISZ represents an effort to organize an increasingly diverse community of Albanian nursing professionals in Switzerland around a common professional identity.
Rather than focusing solely on community representation, the organization has presented itself as a platform for professional development, knowledge exchange, networking and cooperation, both within Switzerland and with healthcare institutions and professionals in Kosovo.
For Albanian nurses who have built their careers through different educational and professional paths, LISZ’s challenge will now be to turn the vision presented at its opening ceremony into practical programs, lasting professional networks and measurable cooperation.
The organization’s first public appearance in Wallisellen marks the beginning of that process.