Nursing training: These German language skills you need

Are you interested in a job in nursing ? Then you need a good nursing training, enjoy working with people and have qualities such as compassion and patience as well as a good knowledge of German.

Good communication as a basis

Good knowledge of German improves cooperation with colleagues, facilitates communication with patients and relatives and helps to improve the quality of care. For this reason, appropriate German language skills are also required when applying for a training position.

Which nursing training programme in Austria, Germany and Switzerland?

In German-speaking countries, there are various training programmes for nursing staff that can be completed at nursing, vocational or technical schools. After training as a carer, there are many opportunities for further training, for example in geriatric care, as a home help or in child and youth care. With the right educational background, it is also possible to study nursing.

Here is an overview of nursing training in the German-speaking countries:

Austria

Nursing assistance:

• Tasks: Basic care and performance of certain medical tasks according to instructions
• Training: 1 year at a school or educational institution for adults
• Language level: from B1

Specialised nursing assistance:

• Tasks: Basic care and independent performance of certain medical tasks
•  Training: 4 years as an apprenticeship or 2 years at a school or educational institution for adults
• Language level: from B2

Qualified health and nursing care:

• Tasks: Care and implementation of medical measures, partly with management tasks
• Education: 3-year Bachelor’s degree programme at a university of applied sciences
• Language level: B2 or C1

Germany

Nursing assistant:

• Tasks: Basic care and performance of certain medical tasks according to instructions
• Training: 1–2 years at a nursing or vocational school
• Language level: B2

Nursing specialist:

• Tasks: Care and implementation of medical measures
• Training: 3 years at a vocational college or 3 years Bachelor’s degree programme
• Language level: B2 or C1

Switzerland

Nursing assistant:

• Tasks: Basic care and support according to instructions
• Training: 120 hours of theory plus 12–15 days of practical training at the Swiss Red Cross or another recognised institution
• Language level: B1

Health specialist/care specialist:

• Tasks: Care and implementation of certain medical measures
• Training: 3 years at a vocational college
• Language level: from B2

Nursing specialist HF:

• Tasks: Care and implementation of medical measures
• Training: 3 years at a higher technical college
• Language level: B2 or C1

Nursing specialist FH:

• Tasks: Care and implementation of medical measures, partly with management tasks
• Education: 3-year Bachelor’s degree programme at a university of applied sciences
• Language level: B2 or C1

ÖSD certificates for your nursing training

Would you like to do an apprenticeship or study in the care sector? Then you need a German certificate (B1, B2 or C1). With an ÖSD exam, you can prove that you have the necessary language skills for your training. The ÖSD exams are offered at levels A1–C2 and are internationally recognised. The exams can be taken on paper or online.

If you want to prepare yourself particularly well linguistically for nursing training or everyday life in nursing, you should find out about the ÖSD Zertifikat B2 /Pflege und medizinische Berufe exam. The topics and content of this exam deal with typical situations in everyday working life in care and hospital centres in German-speaking countries.