Berlin: (hib/BAL) Nursing students should in future receive a training allowance that corresponds to their professional training. The federal government wants to achieve this with its draft law (20/8105) “to strengthen university nursing education, to make it easier to recognize foreign qualifications in nursing and to change other regulations”.
“Due to a lack of adequate funding for the practical part of university nursing training, the existing potential of nursing students cannot currently be fully used,” writes the federal government in the draft and refers to the very low proportion of academics in nursing training in Germany. The long-term goal is to increase the proportion to ten percent, as recommended by the Science Council.
In the future, nursing studies are to be designed as dual studies. This means that students who start university nursing training conclude a training contract with a provider of the practical part of the training. This receives funding from a compensation fund.
The federal government writes: “This ensures that nursing studies are an attractive alternative to vocational training and that more people with higher education entrance qualifications are encouraged to decide on nursing studies. A modern university education in nursing with a secure financial basis is also an important building block in view of the acute shortage of skilled workers in nursing, so that more (young) people decide for a nursing profession.
Furthermore, the federal government wants to standardize and simplify the recognition procedure for skilled workers from abroad. Among other things, it should be possible to waive a comprehensive equivalence test in favor of a knowledge test or an adaptation course. “This relieves applicants and the responsible authorities of the federal states alike,” explains the federal government.
In its statement, the Federal Council welcomes the planned change to integrate the financing of the practical part of university nursing training into the existing financing system, but also writes: “In this context, the Federal Government is asked to introduce a transitional regulation until the refinancing of university students by the fund administrators positions can be placed on a solid data and financing basis.”
In addition, the state chamber calls for a number of changes in its statement on the draft law. Among other things, it is about the possibility of a gender-neutral job title for people who are undergoing nursing training. The Federal Council is in favor of the professional title “nursing specialist”.
In order to relieve those in need of care, the Federal Council is also asking for the training allocation to be removed from the general care allowance. “The compensation fund for long-term care insurance should be reimbursed for the costs of training with a tax subsidy,” writes the Federal Council in its statement.
The federal government rejects the Bundesrat’s proposal for a gender-neutral job title. She takes note of the proposal to take the training cost allocation out of the company’s own funds. This was also agreed in the coalition agreement.
However, the financial situation of the federal government and the debt rule of the Basic Law should also be taken into account. The Federal Government also points out that recommendations for sustainable financing of social long-term care insurance are to be drawn up by May 31, 2024 under the direction of the Federal Ministry of Health. In particular, the expenditure side of social long-term care insurance should also be taken into account.
The federal government intends to examine a few other amendments proposed by the Bundesrat to the extensive law, but rejects the majority of the proposals.