Working in Germany

[leo-germany]

In Germany, we have a huge demand on nurses, in all medical areas, but especially in the OR & ICU. Even if formal hurdles of German bureaucracy are huge, it is possible to get into the system fulfilling all necessary formal prerequisites like occupational licensee (for Non-EU citizens working permission & working visa). Most striking are nevertheless German skills. In Germany, we consider clinical/ medical communication as very important and nurses are the professional group that is the closest to patients and their families. Patients communicate a lot more with nurses than with doctors. And in Germany, patients speak German! Social situation and stable political situation and environment and salaries are very attractive, even if there is a very high workload especially in hospitals. What I consider also as most striking: in Germany, everybody who needs medical treatment, gets medical treatment - all types of medical treatment like emergency and till huge operations or organ/ stem cell transplantations; the overwhelming number of people has a health insurance (99 %; even our newly arrived refugees get a full health insurance...). What are your experiences? Do you consider Germany as a country where you want to work as nurse? Thank you, Leonore

[heatherisbetter, BSN]

I would love to move to Germany and work there... looks like I need to learn German!!

[nutella, MSN, RN]

I worked in Germany as a nurse and I work in the US as a nurse.

I could work in Germany or the US but currently I prefer to work in the US.

In any way, it is not that easy for foreign educated nurses to get a working permit in Germany, be allowed to work as a nurse and to pass the language requirements.

I worked critical care in Germany and that would be the only area I would work in as a nurse in Germany - I would not consider floor nursing...