Germany Hopes to Attract Chinese Nurses to Cover Its Worsening Staff Shortage

Germany is trying to overcome its shortage for trained nurses by launching a pilot project that will aim to attract Chinese nurses over the next few years.

Five young women from China have been working at a residential care home for the elderly in Frankfurt since the beginning of January as part of a wider programme aiming to bring as many as 150 trained Chinese nurses to Germany by the end of this year.

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More than 2.5 million people in Germany currently need nursing care, a number that is expected to increase in the coming years.

At the same time, estimates put the current shortfall in the number of qualified staff at around 50,000, a number that will certainly rise, too.

Recruiting nurses from neighbouring European countries will not be sufficient, said the head of the nursing employers' federation, Thomas Greiner.

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"We're convinced that we'll have to find qualified staff from outside Europe," Greiner said.

The 150 Chinese nurses will all have a nursing degree and a year's practical experience in China. In addition, they undergo eight months of inter-cultural training and language lessons.

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They will initially work as auxiliary staff but later as fully qualified nurses.

Source-AFP