Nursing In Germany

The nursing profession is future-proof
Thanks to the excellent living conditions in Germany, a large proportion of the population enjoys good health into old age. However, with increased life expectancy and an aging society, combined with the decreasing number of young people beginning their working lives, the demand for professional nursing care as well as basic medical care is rising. While Germany does have a stable healthcare system, nursing professionals are nevertheless in high demand and more important than ever. Hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities are always in search of nursing personnel with various levels of qualifications in order to meet the increasing demand in the healthcare and nursing professions. And this demand is predicted to continue growing in the coming years. Would you like to become part of Germany’s stable healthcare system? Then find out here how to start your future-proof career in the nursing sector!
Tasks in the nursing field As a nurse, you will take care of and support people in every phase of their lives. Fields include:
• Patient care
• Paediatric nursing (children’s nursing)
• Geriatric nursing (care of the elderly)
Your tasks in the nursing field will include independent observation, guidance, support and care of patients, both in-patients and out-patients. Additionally, depending on your specialisation and qualifications, you may also document and evaluate nursing measures, as well as carry out medical instructions and assist with medical interventions. As a member of nursing personnel, you also represent a competent point of contact for members of the patient’s family.

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How to Study Nursing in Germany for International Students

With the global population growth rate on a decline, most countries face the various inevitable problems of an aging population. The low number of working-age people in a country not only affects the economic growth of the country, but it also influences the quality of welfare and healthcare of the older population in the country.
Germany is one of the top 10 countries in the world with a large population over the age of 65. According to estimation, the nursing sector in Germany will need 150,000 new nurses by 2025. It is not surprising that the country is actively recruiting nurses from abroad to look after its citizens who are in their golden ages.
If you have already gone through a nursing education or you are a nurse looking to work in Germany, you will be able to do so after going through an “Anerkennung”, a recognition process of your professional qualification, and passing it. If you are a student who would like to become a nurse in Germany, there are several paths that you can choose from.
In this article, we will be going over how to study nursing in Germany, so let’s take a look!

What Degrees are there for Nursing in Germany?

In Germany, the common option for most students is to go through an apprenticeship (also known as “Ausbildung”) in a German hospital. This is because nursing is not a common bachelor’s degree program taught in universities in Germany. Before you apply for an apprenticeship at a hospital, you should have at least a B2 level in German proficiency as you would need to be able to interact with your patients in German. Meeting this language requirement is essential to study nursing in Germany as an international student.
Once you are accepted, you will undergo theoretical and practical training for a total of three years while earning a salary between 1,000 to 1,200 euros a month. This full-time training program entails 2,100 hours of classroom instruction at a vocational school (usually at a partner school of the hospital) and 2,500 hours of working experience in the hospital.
At the end of your program, you are required to pass a state examination to successfully conclude your training. Upon the completion of your apprenticeship, you will be able to work at hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient care facilities, health insurance companies, and so on.

Cost of Studying Nursing

Compared to some of its neighbors, the cost of living in Germany is relatively inexpensive. On average, an international student would need about 850 euros a month to cover his or her living expenses, such as rent, food, clothing, books, and others. It is good to note that this figure should be used only as a guide as factors like the city that you are living in and your lifestyle choices will also determine your monthly expenditures. Unlike other countries where a student has to fork out tens of thousands of dollars to obtain a nursing degree, you are able to immediately start earning when you begin your apprenticeship in Germany. The salary for trainee nurses ranges from 1,000 to 1,200 euros per month.
Most partner universities or vocational schools do not charge any tuition fee but will require their students to contribute a small amount of money each semester. Other than covering administrative costs, the semester contribution is also used for student welfare, such as funding student housing, cafeterias, sports facilities, and others.

Requirements to Study Nursing in Germany for International Students

At the beginning of the year 2020, a new German Nursing Professions Act (Pflegeberufegesetz, PflBG) was enforced. Instead of deciding on a specific vocational training program from the start, all applicants who wish to train to become nursing professionals will undergo general nursing training for the first two years. Later in the third year, students will then have the option to continue their training to become general nurses or choose to specialize to become pediatric or geriatric nurses in the third year.

Under the new Act, nursing courses will also be offered in some universities to cover the skills taught under the vocational training program. To study nursing in Germany from these courses, students are required to have a high school graduation certificate and official transcripts that are recognized by the university, proof of proficiency in the German language (B2 level is the norm), and a contract with a training provider, which is usually one of the school’s partner hospitals.

For example, to participate in the nursing program at the Department of Interprofessional Healthcare of Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, applicants must have a qualification that is equivalent to the German university entrance qualification (also known as “Abitur”), a contract with a German hospital, and proof of German language proficiency.