Photo: WFBB
The majority of nursing professions are training occupations with different levels of qualification. From nursing assistants to nursing specialists to nursing management specialists with a university degree, there are many levels at which nursing professionals can work. Depending on the job, training and professional experience that was not acquired in Germany can be fully or partially recognised. In Brandenburg, there are special advice centres that will support you from day one in the process of recognition. The recognition of your professional qualification plays a central role in your successful employment in Brandenburg.
State-recognised nursing assistants and registered nurses are regulated professions in Germany. Professionals in these fields require a permit to use the job titles nursing assistant, nursing helper, nursing assistant/assistant or registered nurse.
The nursing profession is not practised in the same way in all countries, and the training programmes also differ. As a result, you may be missing certain training content that is a requirement in Germany for working as a nurse. However, if all the requirements are met, your professional qualification will be recognised. Once you have provided proof of the required German language skills, you will receive a professional licence to work as a nursing assistant or nurse in Germany. In order to obtain professional recognition, your documents (certificates, diplomas, transcript of records, etc.) must be examined by the relevant authorities as part of an ‘equivalency assessment’. This involves comparing the theoretical and practical content of your training with the content of German nursing training.
In many cases, however, training content is still missing, which is recorded in a written assessment notice (also known as a ‘deficit notice’). This also specifies which content you still need to catch up on as part of a compensatory measure.
Important for you:
Any training content that is missing can be added at the beginning of your stay in Germany.
There are two ways to compensate for missing training content (the so-called ‘deficits’) with the help of a compensatory measure. As a nurse with a professional qualification acquired abroad, you can choose between an adaptation period and a knowledge test.
An adaptation period is used to individually compensate for the identified differences in your qualification. The competent authority determines the duration and content of the adaptation period. During an adaptation period, the identified differences are then specifically addressed. In most cases, adaptation periods consist of specialist teaching and practical assignments and end with a final discussion on the content covered. The courses are approved by the competent authority and offered by state-recognised nursing schools and educational institutions.
The knowledge test (Section 45 of the Ordinance on the Examination of Nurses) is a state examination. It consists of a practical and an oral part. It is used to check whether you have the necessary skills to practice the profession (in terms of the content of the German training). You can prepare for the knowledge test in special courses. The knowledge test may be repeated once.
Various educational institutions in Germany offer courses to prepare for the knowledge test (for registered nurses). Innovative course concepts include language training during the compensatory measures (e.g. by working with language mentors during practical assignments or accompanying language courses). These concepts often offer the opportunity to get to know the new workplace during the compensatory measure (e.g. through practical assignments). Once you have successfully completed the compensatory measure in Germany and have demonstrated the required knowledge of German, you will receive permission to use the professional title ‘Pflegefachmann’/‘Pflegefachfrau’ (here referred to as ‘Pflegefachkraft’) with unrestricted employment opportunities in the profession.
➔ In many cases, the costs of compensatory measures are covered.
The following schools in Brandenburg are currently approved:
Willy-Brandt-Str. 20, 16515 Oranienburg
Fon: +49 (0)3301 20707-0, E-Mail: info@ agus.de
recognising professional qualifications: https://oberlin-berufliche-schulen.de/berufsanerkennung