The draft for a nursing profession law is intended to ensure high-quality and sustainable training and make the nursing profession more attractive for young people. At the same time, it reacts to demographic developments and changes in supply structures. The number of older people or people suffering from dementia is increasing in German clinics. At the same time, the need for medical treatment in nursing homes is increasing because residents are more chronically ill and have multiple illnesses. More and more often, nursing staff need knowledge that goes beyond the boundaries of their specialist area. Nursing staff are to be prepared for these changing requirements in nursing with a new nursing training course. They also have more opportunities to advance professionally.
Like every apprenticeship, the new nursing profession also requires clear guidelines with regard to the training content. The Federal Ministries of Health and Family have therefore presented key points for a training and examination regulation. First of all, these make detailed regulations on the duration, structure, content design and the practical part of vocational nursing training. In addition, the ordinance formulates the provisions of the state examination as well as practical support and guidance. Further stipulations relate to nursing studies that qualify for a profession, which opens up additional career options for trainees and addresses new target groups.
Joint basic training and advanced training
With the draft of a nursing profession law, the previous three branches of teaching in nursing for the elderly, the sick and children are brought together. At the beginning there is a joint basic training, which prepares for use in all fields of care. This is followed by a setting of priorities in the respective elective area of the trainees. A large part of the training takes place in the respective care facilities, i.e. in practice. The school fees will be abolished, instead the trainees will receive remuneration. The joint basic training enables the specialists to switch more easily between the individual professions later on.
The draft of the Nursing Professions Act will be passed later this year. The first year of training could start in 2018.