Health and care

Germany is characterised by an excellent health system. One reason for this is that Germany places a major emphasis on extensive medical training and regular further training programmes. The level of healthcare provision in Germany is also high when viewed in international terms. On average, there is one doctor available for every 239 residents. Some 340,000 employed physicians work in a wide range of institutions. These include well-equipped hospitals affiliated with cities, churches or organisations; university hospitals; private practices and clinics; prevention and rehabilitation centres; and pharmaceutical research labs.  

Interestingly, the number of employed physicians in Germany with a migrant background has more than doubled in the past ten years. The number was around 24,600 in 2011. Of the newly registered physicians in Germany in 2011, around 28 percent were of foreign background. Still, the need for physicians will continue to increase due to demographic change and technological advances. According to data from the German Medical Association, there were 5,500 positions for physicians in Germany that could not be filled in 2011. 

The job description in the health and nursing field comprises the independent observation, consultation, support and care of patients in an in-patient or outpatient setting. Additionally, it includes the documentation and evaluation of caregiving measures as well as carrying out doctor’s orders and providing assistance during medical procedures. At the same time, health and nursing professionals serve as a point of contact for patients’ relatives.  

The task of health and paediatric nursing professionals consists of caring for infants, children and adolescents who are sick or dependent on care. This includes recognising needs and providing assistance based on the child’s stage of development, as well as supporting relatives during critical situations. Members of the paediatric nursing profession primarily work in the neonatal or children’s ward of hospitals, or provide outpatient paediatric nursing care outside of hospitals. They also work in paediatric clinics and other special facilities for children.

The past years have seen an increase in both the number of students training in the health and nursing field as well as the number of those training in the health and paediatric nursing field.