Whether outpatient or inpatient: there is a shortage of workers in care. How a career start is possible - and what earning opportunities beckon.
The shortage of nursing staff in Germany is sometimes huge - and it could get worse in the coming years. Anyone who is interested in working in nursing has the best chance of getting a job. But which paths lead to a job? An overview:
Assistants help people in need of care to get up, accompany them to the toilet and help with the distribution of food on wards in the hospital. They also tidy up patient rooms - and assist nursing staff with getting laundry, for example. Auxiliary workers work in hospitals and in nursing homes and old people's homes, but also in outpatient nursing services.
The formal requirements for working as an assistant are comparatively low. "A secondary school diploma is not required, but it is certainly helpful," says Prof. Christel Bienstein from the German Professional Association for Nursing Professions.
"But most employers expect at least to attend a course," explains Anke Jürgensen from the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) in Bonn. Such a course, which is offered by recognized organizations such as the German Red Cross (DRK) or the Johanniter, is divided into a theoretical part and a nursing internship and comprises a total of 250 to 500 hours. According to Bienstein, the monthly gross earnings of unskilled workers are up to 2,100 euros.
They exist alongside assistants. They work in hospitals and homes or in outpatient services. "Anyone who has completed a one to two-year training course under state law is qualified as a nursing assistant or nursing assistant," explains Anke Jürgensen. The training profile varies from state to state.
Qualified nursing assistants support, for example, with personal hygiene, help to put on support stockings or accompany patients in the hospital to X-rays, for example. In principle, the area of responsibility does not differ greatly from that of simple assistants, says Bienstein. The difference: The qualified nursing assistants have more nursing knowledge - and they have professional training recognized in nursing. According to Bienstein, earnings are up to 2,400 euros gross per month.
The classic training to become a nursing specialist lasts three years. Ten years of schooling is required. Since 2020, the previously separate training courses in nursing, child care and geriatric care have been a thing of the past. All trainees in the care sector complete the first two years of general training together.
In the third year of training, trainees then have a choice: either they continue with the general training and obtain the professional title "nurse" or "nurse". Or they focus on caring for the elderly or caring for children - in such cases they acquire a degree as "Geriatric Nurse" or "Geriatric Nurse" or "Health and Pediatric Nurse".
Nursing professionals have a variety of tasks. They look after patients in inpatient or outpatient care areas independently, with assistants often assisting them. Nurses treat wounds, apply bandages and use medical devices such as surveillance monitors or ventilators. They dispense medication, create care documentation and duty rosters or keep patient files, for example.
"They primarily determine the care needs of a patient," says Anke Jürgensen. They plan measures, carry them out and ensure the quality of care. They also support the doctors with diagnostics, for example.
According to Christel Bienstein, nursing professionals earn between EUR 3,400 and EUR 4,100 gross per month, and even during their training, they can earn EUR 1,100 gross per month.
By the way: Academic training as a nursing specialist is also possible. In the primary qualifying courses in "Nursing", students learn to care for and care for people of all ages in a scientifically sound and independent manner. Anyone who completes such a course acquires an academic bachelor’s degree as a professional qualification.
"It is also possible to first complete the three-year training course to become a nursing specialist and then add a degree related to nursing," says Anke Jürgensen.
For those who no longer want to go to university, there are numerous further training opportunities. For example, further training as a nursing advisor or in special areas such as psychiatry is possible. Taking over the management of the ward is also a career option after appropriate further training. And those who want to become self-employed can start with their own outpatient nursing service.
(This article was first published on Sunday, January 22, 2023.)
