Cross -border exchange: Nurses strengthen Vienna's health system

Cross -border exchange: Nurses strengthen Vienna's health system

In May, high-ranking representatives of the Johanniter Academy Lower Saxony/Bremen traveled to Vienna to exchange ideas with local partners about the Austrian health system. Natalie Castellanos-Herr, Kersten Enke and Larissa Zeisler were the focus of the visit, which gave important insights into the primary care and the training of nurses. The exchange took place in close cooperation with the social association in Vienna (FSW) and the FH Campus Vienna, where the expertise of Karin Anna Zeiler-Fidler and Prof. Bettina Maria Madleitner was interviewed. It was emphasized how significantly cross -border dialogue is for the further development of innovative approaches in patient care. The responsible people thanked their Austrian partners for the dialogue and the enriching exchange, which forms the basis for future collaborations.

But what about the nursing staff in Vienna? Here the project #Nurses4Vienna comes into play, which was launched by the Vienna Health Association and the FH Campus Vienna. The aim is to bring up to 600 qualified nurses from third countries to Vienna in the next five years. The comprehensive linguistic and professional preparation is carried out by nine -frequent training, which also includes intensive German lessons. 19 people are currently completing this course, and the first nurses from Jordan started their trip to Vienna in December 2024. In the coming months, project managers expect other groups from Asian countries.

challenges in the nursing sector

Despite such initiatives, the lack of nurses in the Austrian healthcare system shows itself as a complex problem. A fundamental factor is demographic change: with an aging population, the need for care is increasing, while at the same time fewer young people choose this profession. This development leads to an imbalance between increasing demand and a limited range of nurses. In addition, the working conditions are not exactly inviting - the nursing profession is physically and emotionally stressful, which often leads to burnout and increases the fluctuation.

The salary and social recognition are also topics that strongly influence the attractiveness of the profession. The training area is also shaped by challenges; There is a lack of attractive training positions and educational offers in many regions. Many young nurses therefore choose to migrate abroad, where they expect better working conditions and higher salaries. In addition, linguistic barriers and differences in the training systems represent a hurdle for the integration of international nurses. Therefore, a holistic approach is required to sustainably improve these problems and to reform the framework conditions for nursing staff. The health city councilor Peter Hacker confirms the need for such measures to cope with the challenges in the healthcare system.