The German Parliament has passed a law introducing standardised training for nursing assistants throughout Germany. The aim is to modernise nursing care and secure long-term staffing needs.
The Nursing Assistant Introduction Act – a typically long German word construction – creates an independent, nationally uniform professional profile that replaces the previous 27 nursing assistant and nursing aide training programmes regulated by state law. The recognition of foreign qualifications will also be simplified.
Training will begin on 1 January 2027. The most important regulations at a glance:
- Insights: The training is generalist in nature and includes compulsory placements in the central care areas of inpatient long-term care, outpatient long-term care and inpatient acute care.
- Duration: Usually 18 months full-time. Part-time and shorter courses are possible, especially if you have relevant work experience.
- Entry requirements: Usually a secondary school leaving certificate, but also possible without a formal qualification if the nursing school gives a positive prognosis.
- Remuneration: All trainees will receive ‘appropriate’ training remuneration in future
- Career opportunities: Connection to training as a nursing professional (also possible in a shortened form) with the subsequent opportunity to study nursing
- Recognition of foreign qualifications: Uniform regulation with knowledge test or adaptation course instead of comprehensive equivalence test