A nursing assistant helps with the health care of clients and patients under the supervision of a more senior nurse. Nursing homes, hospitals, adult daycare centers, personal homes and assisted living facilities all need nursing assistants to act as links between senior nurses and the patient. If you are a German wanting to become a nursing assistant or someone with nursing experience wanting to travel to Germany to assist, you must meet certain requirements.
Fluency in German
You should learn to speak German fluently. If German is not your first language, this is the first requirement of working in the country. You can take a range of language courses. Living Language Ultimate German is an example of a cassette-based course and is available in basic, intermediate and advanced levels.
Acquire a Permit
You need a permit to practice. While there is no general nursing board in Germany, you are required by law to apply for a permit to practice nursing or assistant nursing. This is state-specific, so it is best to apply in whatever geographic area you are hoping to practice in. For more information on this, approach a professional nursing body in Germany, such as Deutscher Berufsverband fur Pflegeberufe.
Refresher Course in Nursing
Depending on how extensive your experience is, you may be required to take a nursing course that refreshes knowledge, procedures and the science that nurses and their assistants encounter in their day-to-day working lives. For instance, you may be required to sit a semester or two on the nursing science master's program at the Witten/Herdecke University in Witten in Germany.
Visa Requirements
Non-European Union nationals need a visa or residence permit to take up employment in Germany, according to the German government. Each document must detail whether employment has been granted and how long it is for. Only nationals of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States can apply for the necessary residence permit after arrival in Germany. All other nationalities must apply before they arrive in the country.
