Title : Representation of interests and professionalisation in nursing using the example of the establishment of the North Rhine-Westphalia nursing board
Abstract:
The professionalisation of the nursing professions is a dynamic process that is becoming increasingly important in the German healthcare system. At the centre of the various discussions is the establishment and strengthening of nursing as an independent profession with its own scope of tasks and responsibilities. An interesting example of this process is the introduction of Nursing Boards as professional organisations that bundle the interests of nurses and enable a regulatory framework. Since the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court in 2002, the nursing professions have been recognised healthcare professions. In July 2020, the law on the establishment of a Nursing Board in North Rhine- Westphalia was passed. While the implementation of Nursing Boards has declined in other federal states, the Nursing Chamber has been successfully established in North Rhine-Westphalia with around 224,000 members. This makes it the healthcare profession Board with the largest number of members in Germany. Various factors were identified to strengthen the establishment process and ensure the establishment of a Nursing Board. They can provide political decision-makers with valuable information that should be taken into account during the legislative process. Irrespective of whether and how the tasks of a Nursing Board contribute to professionalisation, the opinion-forming processes among nursing professionals regarding the establishment of a Nursing Board are heterogeneous and are also viewed critically and controversially in some cases. This presentation will use the definition, tasks and objectives of Nursing Boards using the example of the North Rhine-Westphalia Nursing Board to show how they can influence the nursing professionalisation.
