Compensatory measures

The company informs the international nurse in a manner appropriate to the audience about the options and choices available in Germany for compensatory measures. Highlighted are the quality of the measures, the underlying didactic concepts and the possible link with the job offer.

1. Options and choices for compensatory measures

Your professional qualification in nursing that you acquired in your home country has only been partially recognised. In this case you have the option of compensating for your deficits with an individually tailored adaptation course.

Alternatively there is the option of taking a knowledge examination (directly or with a preceding preparatory course).

Both the knowledge examination and the adaptation courses can so far only be taken in Germany, that is after entry.

The decision whether an adaptation course or a knowledge examination is to be completed in order to compensate for the differences rests with the nursing professional, that is with you as the person being recruited.

It is therefore sensible for you to be informed and advised by a company such as CareLend GmbH about both options and their advantages and disadvantages.

In addition there is the option of seeking advice from recognition advice centres via the funding programme “Integration through Qualification” (IQ) at home and abroad.

1. What you should look out for when choosing a suitable education provider!

Identifying the differences regarding conceptual and didactic concepts of the respective education providers and their measures is very difficult for the foreign nurse.

A corresponding quality seal of the company with which the nurse applies is therefore a very important decision factor.

Evidence of a functioning quality management system is also helpful when choosing.

In Germany, educational institutions that deliver measures funded by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) must be certified accordingly.

For companies that recruit international nurses, the RAL quality mark is a further proof of quality for applicants.

Foreign nurses with foreign qualifications – especially from non-EU third countries – must submit an application for recognition of their qualifications to the respective state authority (ideally before departure to Germany). As a rule the qualifications are not equated with a German qualification in nursing. Accordingly the applicant or the foreign nurse receives the so-called deficit notice.

1. Advantages and disadvantages of the individual qualification paths

After reviewing your foreign qualifications that you brought from outside the EU (non-EU third countries), the competent authority has identified “deficits” and issued you with the so-called deficit notice.

In order to remedy your deficits you must take part in a compensatory measure.

This means that you make arrangements early with possible education providers that ideally have the quality proofs named. Here you should now discuss which path is best for you:

An adaptation course or a preparatory course for the knowledge examination.

1) Participation in the knowledge examination directly after arrival in Germany.

If, after consultation with the education provider, you decide on this compensatory qualification, you should take the following into account:

• there are differences between the international curricula and the curricula in the 16 federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• The preparatory course cannot accordingly remedy the deficits in the short time
• This means that the probability that the applicant will pass this oral and written examination is rather low.

We as CareLend therefore recommend the second path.

2) Participation in an adaptation programme with a certified provider of such measures.

The duration of the adaptation programme varies individually and is determined by the respective state authority.

This measure includes a theoretical part and a specialist practical part.

The teaching is delivered by specialist staff (medical educators, teaching staff from nursing) and takes place as a group measure.

This conveyance of knowledge is followed by a workplace phase in which you complete your practical part in a medical facility (hospital or other care facility).

The objective of the adaptation programme is to eliminate all theoretical and practical deficits of the foreign qualifications identified by the competent state authority

1. The adaptation qualification at CareLend Bildung GmbH – Weißenfels
   (as an example)

CareLend Bildungs GmbH is certified accordingly and has a functioning quality management system.

The theoretical part of the adaptation programme is delivered at the nursing school of CareLend Bildungs GmbH in Borna. Teaching here is in frontal teaching and in group work

The theoretical part is followed by the practical part in a medical facility. This is usually the care facility with which an employment contract was signed in advance.

The adaptation programme lasts 10 months (4 months of theory and 6 months of internship).

1. What options do you have in the town of Weißenfels and the surrounding area.

Here you will find a list of providers:

1. Bildungszentrum Leipziger Land (Sana Klinik nursing school):

https://www.bildungszentrum-leipzigerland.de/

1. CareLend Bildung GmbH

https://cl-bildung.de/

1. Sample of an adaptation programme for comparison (Weißenfels)

Abbreviation: APM = adaptation programme

APM duration theory	as a rule 4 full months
APM duration practical	as a rule 6 full months
Teaching hours in the theory period	07:00 – 14:30 daily Mon.–Fri.
Teaching hours in the practical period	8 hours daily Mon.–Fri. (work at weekends and on public holidays possible)
Theory location in Weißenfels	CareLend Bildungsgesellschaft mbH
Internship	With the respective employer
Group size	20 participants
Country of origin of the nurses	among others Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, India and Pakistan, Ukraine ….
Objective of the APM	to eliminate all deficits of the foreign qualifications identified by the corresponding state authority and recorded in the “deficit notice”.
Final certificate	Professional certificate as a skilled worker in health and nursing care (until 2024, thereafter as Pflegefachmann/-frau)
Scope of validity of the professional certificate	Nationwide
Period of validity of the licence to practise	Unlimited
Prerequisites	Language level B2 at the start of the APM, completed nursing training in the home country. For information we set an extra prerequisite regarding professional experience: at least 2 years of professional experience (as a rule candidates have 5 years of average experience
Course fees	Paid by an education voucher from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency).
Bookable from	Immediately
Employment relationship before the APM	In order to obtain a visa to Germany, the foreign nurse must already present an employment contract as an auxiliary worker in nursing. However, the start of work and consequently the start of salary payment is linked to the start of the APM. The employment contract is fixed-term until completion of the APM.
Employment relationship after the APM	As soon as the APM has been successfully completed, the competent state authority is informed. It takes about 3 weeks until the professional certificate is issued. Until then the nurse remains employed as an auxiliary worker. As soon as a professional certificate is available, a seamless transition into the employment contract as a skilled worker is made. The employment contract is permanent.
Support after the APM	24 months in all matters, professional as well as private, from CareLend GmbH and its network.