In aging Germany, more and more people will need care – but nursing staff are already in short supply. In order to attract staff, the profession should enable more personal responsibility in the future.
In view of the continued growing need for care, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to make the working conditions for nursing staff with additional skills more attractive.
“We make far too little use of the professional potential of nursing in Germany,” said the SPD politician on Thursday at the German Nursing Day in Berlin. His ministry is therefore working on a law to significantly expand the scope of concerns that nursing staff can cover. In order to attract urgently needed nursing staff, experts believe that better pay is also necessary.
Demands of the Nursing Council
The President of the German Nursing Council, Christine Vogler, called for comprehensive improvements in working conditions. This included more authority for specialists to be able to confidently carry out their profession in nursing diagnostics, therapy and care. “In this way, we create perspectives with which we can keep nurses in the profession and in Germany.” Lauterbach said the law was about legally binding extensions of responsibilities for both geriatric care and hospital care.
The nursing council also demanded, among other things, a starting salary of 4,500 euros. “We also have to create the conditions so that nurses can work well even under difficult conditions,” said Vogler. This includes reducing bureaucracy to what is necessary and avoiding unnecessary and duplicate controls. “Securing skilled workers in nursing is the key to the cohesion of our society and therefore to our democracy,” she emphasized. According to its own information, the German Nursing Council represents the interests of 1.7 million nursing employees.
Criticism from Lauterbach
Lauterbach pointed out legal plans to expand nursing studies. At the same time, nursing staff from abroad would be needed, but not from countries where they are needed even more urgently than in Germany. We have to work fairly together with countries that provide more training than they need. “It is not guest workers that we need,” said the minister. It’s about foreign forces who also have to have a good quality of life without any discrimination. To achieve this, qualifications from other countries would have to be recognized wisely. This also makes sense if your language skills are not yet perfect. These built up very quickly.
The minister criticized problems with temporary work in nursing. In some cases, large profits are being made from placement, facilities are chasing away nursing staff and there is “two-class care” with more favorable conditions for temporary staff. “This can not be right.” Lauterbach also appealed to nursing staff to renew their corona vaccination protection with a view to autumn and winter. “It’s for your protection and the protection of the patients.”
Source: Stern
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