Germany
Guidelines for those colleagues who consider working in the F. R. of Germany
First of all you would need to prove that you are fluent in oral and written German language in order to be able to communicate properly with both patients and colleagues. Yet, a language test such as: ‘German as a Foreign Language’ is, as far as I know not required.
Secondly, you have to get the permission to work as a registered nurse in Germany. This has to be done at the Bezirksregierung or Regierungspräsident of the concerned city or region. It is necessary to have your certificates, diploma or degree, respectively, translated. In addition, these papers have to bear a stamp of an official countersignature.
Having got the permission to work as registered nurse, you can apply for the recognition as a anaesthesia nursing specialist. An anaesthesia nursing specialist might be recognised if s/he can show evidence that her/his education in anaesthesie nursing is equivalent to the edu-cation in the state s/he wants to work. Again, you need to have your references of the critical care nursing course to be translated and countersigned.
Unlike the basic education in nursing — which is regulated by law for the whole republic — advanced education is regulated by each of the 16 federal states. Consequently, the regu-lations differ from state to state. Most of them have regulations by law, some recommen-dations only. Though one main goal of the DGF is to establish a national curriculum this aim has not yet been achieved.
Finally, you have to get a work permission. Candidates of member states of the European Community do have easier access to work places in Germany. Nonetheless, it is the desire of DGF to assist anaesthesia nurses world wide in applying for jobs or registration. If you were to sent your inquiry to us we would be very happy to help and to support your case.
Please, do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything else I can do. My address and email is shown below and in case I am not at home our phone & fax machine is always switched on. Because the German Society of Specialised Nursing (DGF) has state representatives in every federal state we might even facilitate your process.
Joachim Schoen
DGF Delegate for IFNA
German Society of Specialised Nursing
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Email: Joachim Schoen
www.dgf-online.de
