In Germany, so-called lower staffing limits for nursing staff have been in force for some time in nursing-intensive areas of hospitals. In this way, the legislator wants to ensure that there are always enough qualified staff available in the departments where good care of patients by nursing staff is particularly important.

These lower limits must be implemented by hospitals and apply, for example, to intensive care and paediatric intensive care, general surgery and trauma surgery, internal medicine and cardiology, cardiac surgery and neurology. In the intensive care unit, for example, there must be one nurse for every 2.5 patients during the day, and 3.5 nurses on the night shift.

The whole thing is now to be extended. In future, corresponding requirements are also to apply in ear, nose and throat medicine, rheumatology and urology. This would mean that 90% of all hospital cases in Germany would be covered by the statutory requirement.

The whole thing also opens up opportunities for anyone coming from abroad to work in a hospital in Germany – and good working conditions, after all, one has to look after fewer patients and thus has more time for each individual.