Germany/Nursing trainees from Kosovo are trained in Brandenburg

New ways to tackle the nursing shortage: the first students from Kosovo began their nursing training at the Johanniter Hospital in Treuenbrietzen - a model for other hospitals in Brandenburg.

Rheumatology, pneumology, allergology: after six weeks of theory lessons, Endrit Bilalli and the three other Kosovar trainees are deployed for the first time in a ward at the Johanniter hospital in Treuenbrietzen (Potsdam-Mittelmark). Some processes, such as personal hygiene, are still new to Endrit, others he was already familiar with from nursing school in Kosovo: "I've administered infusions and injections, and looked after wounds". Learning is fun, say the four, and their German classmates at the nursing school help them a lot. Nevertheless, many things are different in Germany and Kosovo. Shasivar Kadrijaj, 20, has also never been abroad before. He says he calls his parents and siblings every day. They're very happy that he got the coaching job in Germany. And they're proud. Youth unemployment in Kosovo is over 50 percent. "The effort is worth it" Cooking together helps combat the occasional homesickness - even though getting started in Germany wasn't so hard for her, explains Fitore Gashi. "I have my sister in Berlin. My friends make it easy for me. And we have Mrs. Koch - she's very supportive." This is Anne Koch, the receptionist, who was hired by Johanniter Hospital specifically to facilitate the entry of foreign trainees and employees to Treuenbrietzen. Anne Koch takes care of furniture, health insurance, cell phone contracts and ensures that new arrivals quickly feel at home here. "It's going very well," she says. "For example, we've agreed to go jogging together, and yesterday we went shopping with a classmate." According to Koch, the integration effort is immense, but it's also extremely important and worthwhile in the long run. A long selection process More than a year passes between the selection process and the arrival of the Kosovar nursing students in Brandenburg. Preparatory courses and German language courses are held in Kosovo - and only when both have been passed and formalities clarified are the young people allowed to enter Germany. The state of Brandenburg is investing 230,000 euros a year in this "National Matching" pilot project - initially for a limited period until 2024. Baden-Württemberg is the model. Recruitment of trainee nurses from Kosovo has been established there for years. However, interested Brandenburg clinics and nursing homes bear the bulk of the preparatory costs - around 4,000 euros per trainee. To this will be added later the costs of German language courses and accommodation in Germany. The management of the Treuenbrietzen clinic hopes that careful selection and integration will pay off in the long run, as the nursing staff from Kosovo are expected to stay and strengthen the team in the long term. One in five nursing trainees comes from abroad Other clinics and care facilities in Brandenburg are keen to do the same, as are their colleagues at Treuenbrietzen. Human Resources Manager Matthias Rehder of the Havelland clinics also travelled to Kosovo to select four trainees for his nursing school. "As a school, we need students to fill the classes," explains Rehder. "The need for nursing staff is immense. "You've always trained and committed a lot, but you need 'even more'. The need for nursing staff at the Sana clinics in Lower Lusatia is just as great. Around one in five trainees in the two nursing classes now come from abroad, reports Teresa Sommer, head of staff recruitment. Supported projects such as the one in Kosovo make procedures easier for the clinics - but there are also many direct applications from abroad. "We now also have extremely successful African students, who integrate very well and show a high degree of initiative."However, the prerequisite for a training contract is still good language skills, or at least skills you can build on," Sommer explains. After the successful preparatory course and the German exam in Kosovo, the next 30 nursing trainees could come to Brandenburg next year. The project's eight clinics and care facilities are counting on them.

Source: www.tagesschau.de/