The nursing profession: challenges and opportunities in the DACH region

Working in care – for many, it’s not just a job, but a vocation.

The nursing profession is an important part of medical care. Without nursing staff, there would be no functioning healthcare system and it would not be possible to maintain current care standards. It is a responsible and important profession which, despite its many advantages such as job security, varied activities and numerous development opportunities, is in crisis.

What are the biggest challenges in care at the moment?

The nursing profession has had a bad reputation for some years now and fewer and fewer people in the DACH region are choosing to work in nursing. There are many reasons for this: too few staff, too little pay, unattractive working hours, high physical and mental stress and too little recognition.

It is not only the lack of attractiveness of the nursing profession that poses challenges for German-speaking regions. Society is ageing and the need for nursing care is increasing, while birth rates are falling. There are too few carers in training, meaning that the demand cannot be met.

This is particularly noticeable in home care and the majority of families take on the care of their relatives themselves. However, many families are dependent on support from qualified staff, as they are unable to care for those in need of care on their own due to a lack of time, expertise and psychological stress.

The nursing profession: increasing shortage of skilled labour

More carers are urgently needed throughout the DACH region. However, the situation will become even more acute in the coming years. In Austria, around 200,000 positions will need to be filled or replaced by 2050, while in Germany there will be a shortage of up to 690,000 carers by 2049. A staff shortage is also expected in Switzerland, with a shortage of around 36,500 skilled workers by 2029.

In search of a way out of the care crisis

The increasing demand for nursing staff emphasises the need to find future-oriented solutions. Targeted measures are being taken to counteract the shortage of skilled workers and meet the growing demand, including increasing the number of training places, financial incentives in the form of higher salaries or bonuses. Unfortunately, these measures are not enough, as too few people in Austria, Germany and Switzerland are opting for the nursing profession and many carers will retire in the coming years.

Covering care needs with international specialists

One possible way out of the care crisis is therefore to employ skilled workers from abroad. These people must have their nursing training acquired in their home country recognised in Austria, Germany or Switzerland in order to be able to work there. In addition to the professional qualification, sufficient knowledge of German is also required for professional recognition – depending on the activities, a language level of B1 or B2 is required.

Generally speaking, the better your knowledge of German, the easier it will be for you to manage your day-to-day care work later on. Language barriers are reduced and patient care and collaboration with other nursing staff runs more smoothly. Proof of the necessary language skills is therefore essential for foreign nursing staff who want to start a career in the DACH region.

ÖSD exams as the key to professional recognition for the nursing profession

The German examinations of the ÖSD (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch) enable people who wish to work in Austria, Germany or Switzerland to have their German language skills certified at levels A1-C2. ÖSD exams are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and are recognised worldwide as proof of German language proficiency.

The exams cover the four skills of reading, listening, writing and speaking. Texts and tasks are based on authentic situations, whereby the different varieties of the German language are also taken into account. The written exam (consisting of the reading, listening and writing subtests) and oral exam (speaking) modules can be taken independently of each other within a year – both on paper and digitally.

The ÖSD offers a separate exam, the ÖSD Zertifikat B2 / Pflege und medizinische Berufe (ÖSD Certificate B2 / Nursing and Medical Professions), for nursing staff as well as people interested in nursing training. The topics and content of this exam specifically address typical situations in everyday working life. In addition to the general requirements of level B2, knowledge of the specialised and everyday language specific to the nursing and medical professions is also helpful. The ÖSD certificate thus opens up new professional perspectives and career opportunities throughout the DACH region for both foreign nursing staff and other interested parties.