Nursing | Enhancing the value of human work

At least wages in the nursing sector have risen slowly but steadily in recent years. Just a few days ago, the Federal Statistical Office announced that full-time employees in relevant occupations received an average of €4,048 gross without special payments in spring 2024. Is that enough? Here, too, it depends on: Which collective agreement applies, how many weekly hours can people with children, for example, work? Much more important are likely how reliably shifts are staffed, how often employees are called in from their free time, and how nursing staff are integrated into work and shift organization, for example, how they are supported with their desire for further training, and so on.

It's sometimes said that no one should pursue a nursing career if their primary concern is a high income. However, for demanding work in two or more shifts, 365 days a year, and without closing days, as is possible in the restaurant industry, a reasonable income is the bare minimum. Today, hospitals are already advertising more vacation days as a way to offset shift stress. This is another way to retain and retain employees.

The bottom line is that it's not simply about making life easier for care professionals. They care for others at the beginning and end of life, even in difficult or threatening situations in between. They work very closely with people, and women still predominate in nursing and similar professions. This is probably precisely why a comprehensive upgrade of these professions is so difficult and can always be put on the back burner politically .