Munich Establishes Competence Center for International Nursing: A Pilot Project Against Staff Shortages
Munich, April 16, 2026 – A groundbreaking pilot project, the Competence Center for International Nursing (KiP), has been inaugurated at Kraepelinstraße 18 in Munich. This center is designed to provide practical training and qualification for international nursing professionals, facilitate the recognition of their foreign qualifications, and ultimately integrate much-needed personnel into clinics and home care services across Germany.
Significant Investment to Address a Critical Need
The city of Munich has committed 2.9 million Euros to fund this three-year pilot project, recognizing it as a crucial investment in alleviating the severe shortage of skilled workers in the nursing sector. The newly renovated and stylishly appointed basement rooms of the KiP were officially opened on Thursday afternoon.
Petra Geistberger, head of München Klinik, Beatrix Zurek (SPD), Munich’s health officer, and Jacqueline Schaller, head of the newly established KiP, led the inauguration. “The core purpose here is to ensure that the international qualifications of nurses are recognized,” stated Geistberger, emphasizing the center’s motto: practice until proficiency is achieved. Geistberger extended her gratitude to the city council for approving the funding, and to Mayor Verena Dietl (SPD) and the Department of Health for their instrumental role in bringing the KiP to fruition.
Bridging Theory and Practice with Advanced Training Facilities
The KiP’s training facilities are equipped with lifelike mannequins, including those representing a mother and newborn, as well as elderly patients. These advanced training aids allow future nursing professionals to practice essential skills such as measuring a pulse or responding to a crying baby. On the day of the inauguration, trainees were practicing acute home care for elderly patients.
Schaller highlighted the center’s comprehensive approach, which includes a dedicated room for simulating conversations with relatives, thereby enhancing the communication and language skills of the future specialists. She also noted the use of real, height-adjustable beds, ensuring a realistic training environment.
A Model for Nationwide Application
Health officer Zurek expressed her delight that München Klinik was selected to host this pilot project. She underscored that the issue extends beyond Munich, affecting the entire country. Zurek expressed hope that following a successful evaluation, similar “parcours examinations” would be implemented at a Bavarian, or even national, level. “This cannot be solely the responsibility of a major city,” Zurek asserted, given the nationwide scope of the skilled worker shortage.
International Nurses Eager to Contribute
The KiP has the capacity to train up to 500 international nursing professionals annually, guiding them through the qualification recognition process. Among the current trainees is Mohamed Rafi Esmael (39), originally from India, who already works as a nurse at Klinikum rechts der Isar. His current curriculum includes blood sugar control, oxygen measurement, and crucially, documentation of home visits.
When asked about his plans after his qualifications are recognized, Esmael stated, “Of course, I want to continue working in a Munich clinic,” underscoring the strong desire of these international professionals to contribute their skills to the local healthcare system.
