Nursing crisis: Discussion about training and personnel requirements in the Lower Austrian state parliament

Nursing crisis: Discussion about training and personnel requirements in the Lower Austrian state parliament

Wiener Neustadt, Österreich - On April 30, 2025, an important session of the Lower Austrian Landtag took place, in which several crucial requests were treated. Under the topics, the application for the upcoming employment of care forces at higher educational institutions for nursing and social care (HLPS) and in the care of the care stood out. MP René Lobner from the People's Party (VP) presented this application to the MPs, while MP Mag. Edith Kollermann from the NEOS pointed out the challenges of the nursing sector, in particular due to an aging population and less employed. She expressed concerns about the care and considered the availability of teachers for the HLPs to be crucial in order to meet the growing need for specialists, the bwpat.de, according to the increase in chronically ill and severely care.

In the subsequent discussion, MP Silvia Moser criticized the application as without the content of the Greens. She pointed out significant problems with the HLPS, such as difficulties in internships and the recognition of professions. She was supported by Mag. Mag. Karin Scheele by the Social Democratic Party (SP), who also spoke out against the care of the care as a solution to the lack of personnel and called for sustainable financing. In the debate, MP Richard Punz from the FP called incentives to attracting the training, including a nursing training bonus. Ultimately, the application with the votes of VP, SP, FP and NEOS found a majority and was accepted.

support for working parents

Another central topic was the new building of the University Hospital Wiener Neustadt. MP Anton Kasser (VP) reported on the progress of the project, in which MP Mag. Helmut Hofer-Gruber (NEOS) criticized the explosively increased costs and described the project as a planning disaster. In this context, MP Dipl.-Ing. Franz Dinhobl (VP) of the need to reschedule the clinic due to medical and demographic developments, which underlines the increasing need for care in the region.

insolvency law and nature conservation

The protection in bankruptcy law also focused on the debates. MP René Pfister (SP) presented an application that demanded protective mechanisms for special hardship cases. MP Kathrin Schindele (SP) and MP Jürgen Handler (FP) underlined the urgency of support measures for flood victims. This application was finally accepted with a majority of VP, FP and SP.

In addition, an application for amending the Lower Austrian Nature Conservation Act 2000 was dealt with. Mag. Georg Ecker, MA (Greens), reported on the need for a differentiated regulation for tree felling in urban and rural areas. MP Mag. Edith Kollermann (NEOS) criticized the bureaucratic burdens that could bring such a regulation. Nevertheless, the application was accepted by the MPs of the VP, FP, SP and NEOS and thus shows progress in the endeavor to strengthen nature conservation.

The session of the Lower Austrian Landtag illustrated the pressing challenges in the care sector and the need for adequate measures to meet the aging population and the increasing demands on nursing staff. The shortage of skilled workers and the increase in people in need of care present the company to immense challenges that have to be mastered in order to ensure the quality of care in the long term. These developments are not only critical from a human perspective, but also affect the resources required in the future and the health system as a whole.