Direct In Germany
For Direct Employment as a Nurse in Germany
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Study to become a Registered Nurse in Germany
If you want to be a nurse in one of the world’s leading economies with high minimum wages and job security, then Germany is the right place for you. Germany provides excellent salary and working conditions for the nurses as they are high in demand. But you need to meet the criteria of their requirements, to know more about the prerequisites to be a nurse in Germany, please go through the following post.
Requirements to study Nursing in Germany General requirement to enter the University are:
- University Entry Qualification A level (Matura) or Preparation course with additional qualification or Plus 2 or Higher-Secondary in India
- Sufficient German level at least B2
- Financial proof of 10,000 EUR (9 Lakhs INR approx.) or Employment contract with a salary above 900 EUR (81000 INR approx.)
- Entrance Examination
- After approval are required
- Good health and mental condition
- Proof of current vaccination status
- Criminal record (home country or Germany)
- Relevant professional qualifications if applicable
- Trustworthiness and responsibility
If you are just coming to Germany from abroad to study nursing you will need to apply for a student visa in your home country. An important aspect of this is financial security. Therefore you will need to prove at least 10,000 EUR on your bank account.
Also, don’t forget to take into account tuition fee, you will need to pay it as well. It will depend on the university you apply to, usually costs range between 120 – 300 EUR per semester. After you have considered every aspect up to this point, the next step to study nursing in Germany will be to send your application to the university of your choice.
It is recommended to send your documents as soon as the application procedure is open, so you will have enough time to prepare your visa.
Working as a Nurse in Germany: Overview
Germany has become the hub for aspiring nurses, irrespective of their gender. Unfortunately many of them fail to understand the gravity of the situation. Nursing isn’t a piece of cake and as glamorous as it is portrayed. On contrary, you have to take up important in field tasks like :-
- Accompany and care for patients
- Treat the elderly and sick according to doctors instructions
- Plan care measures, notice and document them
- Serve as a contact person for relatives, doctors, and therapists
The area of responsibility of the certified nurse includes the care of sick people of all ages with physical and mental illnesses, of people with special needs, or seriously ill and dying people. In addition, they provide prevention, health promotion, and health advice.
Besides general tasks, you will face quite a lot of bureaucracy. Everything must be accurately documented – every patch change, every tablet. Computer work often takes up to three hours of a working day. Consequently, this leaves less time for direct contact with patients.
Completing an internship is highly recommended, so future nurses at least will see a full picture of the job.
University or Vocational Training?
There are two main ways to become a nurse in Germany:
- University Degree (3 years)
- Vocational Training (3 years)
To study nursing in Germany or work as a qualified nurse, you need to translate all your documents if they aren’t in English or German originally.
In most of the countries, possessing a university degree is the common protocol to be a nurse. But in Germany this has been being implemented only for the past 10 years, when universities across the country included nursing degrees as part of their curriculum.
Usually the universities tie up with the hospitals and clinics, so students can study and work part time.
The program lasts for 3 or 4 years and graduates finish with Bachelor of Science in Health + professional qualification in health and nursing or Bachelor of Science in Nursing + Diploma in health and nursing.
Although both a Bachelor’s degree and vocational nursing training allow you to work as a nurse, University degree, of course, will offer more opportunities for future career.
And most importantly graduates will climb career gradient faster later, than training nurses. The second one usually will need a significant amount of experience to be able to move forward. University graduates can take up more responsible jobs and also more administrative one’s, so they even don’t necessarily need to work as a practicing nurse.
The most popular path is when after finishing a program they become nurse teachers at vocational schools. But many also combine their nurse job at the hospital with the teaching profession.
Further education also possible: who already holds a bachelor in nursing can apply for various Master programs to fast forward their knowledge and career.
A qualified nursing student in German is now almost guaranteed of a job post once they are enrolled in the program.
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What will you learn at University?
The courses at university are adapted to international Standards and include not only nursing aspects but also Psychology, Health Sciences, Social and Human Sciences and a comprehensive understanding of health and illness.
To be able to communicate with patients in the best possible way, consulting techniques are taught, conversation guidance, but also the important area of the organization as well as law and ethics.
Because in the end, the degree must give you all that nurses’ need to optimally care for and treat sick people, the training should be comprehensive so it also prepares for the higher job positions with more responsibility.
University course covers all of the skills taught under the vocational training program and also take into account the even more complex needs of persons in need of care.
The study at University include:
- General medical basics
- Basics of nursing
- Theories and concepts in professional care
- Profession, law, and economy
- Scientific Work
- Social communication skills and self-competences
- Pathology and diagnostics
- Health Sciences
- Special health and nursing care
In addition to the courses at University, a big focus placed on the practical part of the study program. The length depends on the University, on average about half of the study program will be dedicated to the practical experience.
This is the perfect way for students to gain an insight into working life, implement knowledge and gain qualifications and competences.
It practical part students go through classic nursing fields such as long-term care, acute care or mobile care. In general, they complete internships in all areas of care, for example in hospitals, in rehabilitation centers, in-home nursing or in long-term care houses.
Everyone must accomplish theoretical and practical part of the degree, in order to be graduated from University.
What is a Vocational Training in Nursing?
Vocational training also known as the Nursing Apprenticeship program, it’s a very popular way to become a nurse in Germany. Program was made for people who are interested in pursuing a nurse career in Germany but don’t have the required education.
Basically, the training takes place at a nursing school, which has the necessary state recognition. It usually lasts for 3 years and ends with the state examination.
After successfully passing the exam, students qualified as a Registered Nurse which enables them to immediately start working accordingly profession.
The training as a nurse is organized in schools, with the students later attached to the various hospitals and departments where they gather practical experience. During the three-year training, 2,100 hours must be invested in theory and 2,500 hours in practice.
Notice that the same as the university practical experience is obligatory while taking vocational training!
In both cases, while studying at university and completing the vocational training students receive a monthly salary, the amount depending on organization and year of education (see more details down below).
The content of the training is tightly organized and structured, it includes not only courses on health and nursing care, but nursing and health sciences as well as scientific and medical basics, development of nursing all these are relevant knowledge from the humanities and Social Sciences. The training process is usually divided into six-week blocks sometimes longer. Especially in the first year, students learn a lot of theory and clearly it’s important for future internships.