International nursing staff in Giessen: A new way of life in Germany!

International nursing staff in Giessen: A new way of life in Germany!

Kujtese Mustafaj and Bilal Al, two international nurses at the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg (UKGM), show how important international specialists are in Germany. Both left their home countries of Albania and Turkey to help the German healthcare system and combat the acute shortage of skilled workers. However, the decision to migrate brings with it numerous challenges.

Kujtese, who comes from the Albanian coastal city of Durrës, did not see her dream of living in Germany as her original plan. She was approached by an employment agent three years ago and initially ended up in Cologne before coming to Giessen a year ago. Her goal was to create a better life for herself and her family, but she misses the sea of ​​her homeland. Bilal also swapped the large city of Istanbul, with its almost 15.5 million inhabitants, for Giessen. The move wasn't easy for him - he had to leave friends and family behind.

Challenges in the new environment

Bilal says that adjusting to life in Giessen was a challenge. He found the first time particularly difficult as he had to get used to the quieter lifestyle and the new way of working. Despite these difficulties, he now feels at home in Germany. The two nurses reported on their experiences in the UKGM and how they experience working as foreign nurses.

A central point in their stories is the recognition of their qualifications. Both have received extensive training in their home countries, which, however, does not always correspond to German standards. Kujtese even has a master's degree in surgical nursing in Albania, but this is not recognized here. Nevertheless, they try to do the best in their role in the German healthcare system. Bilal dreams of returning to Turkey one day, while Kujtese plans to stay in Germany long-term and bring her siblings with her.

The bureaucracy in Germany brings additional challenges. Bilal describes the long waiting times for his residence status to be recognized and the difficulties in obtaining a permanent employment contract. He has been waiting for a response for several months while his visa is about to expire. These issues illustrate the hurdles that international nursing staff have to overcome in order to settle in Germany.

Another major obstacle is finding accommodation. Kujtese and Bilal face the challenge of finding accommodation in a tight housing market. Even though the UKGM offers support with temporary accommodation, the step to owning your own apartment is extremely difficult. Kujtese has now found an apartment in the city center, while Bilal is still looking. Constant rejections from landlords, despite a secure income and mastery of the German language, frustrate him. “It’s unbelievable that people have difficulty getting an apartment despite having a job,” he explains, disappointed.

The two nurses hope for a better social climate in which the differences between asylum seekers and recruited specialists are more clearly recognized and respected. Despite all the challenges, they value employee rights in Germany, especially when it comes to vacation days and working conditions. Kujtese and Bilal are important examples of the skills shortage that Germany is trying to alleviate by recruiting international talent. The commitment of these nurses shows how they find their place in a foreign country and at the same time make a valuable contribution to the health and care of others.

For more information on the living conditions of international nursing staff in Germany, supplemented by personal experiences, there is an insightful report www.giessener-anzeiger.de to find.