Nursing training on the cutting edgeGood nurses are urgently needed. This can be achieved not only with better pay, but also with attractive training. In Cologne, the construction of an innovative nursing school should help to get more young people interested in the nursing profession again.
– Completion of the nursing school in the summer of 2023. – Innovative facilities in the new nursing school enable trainees to learn in a solution- and practice-oriented way. – A large part of the new building, worth 13.7 million euros, is being financed by Pax-Bank. Well-trained nursing staff in the clinics. Nursing homes are important. According to a recent study by the Institute of the German Economy, however, the number of inpatient care staff in Germany could be around 307.000 caregivers lack. Therefore, among other things, the training capacities in the care should be increased. The most modern nursing school in the city is therefore being built in Cologne-Hohenlind.
Ground was broken earlier this year – the school is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2023. In total, the new building will cost 13.7 million euros and will be financed by the St. Elisabeth Hospital in cooperation with the Caritas Association for the City of Cologne e.V. as well as the Deutschordens-Altenzentren Konrad Adenauer GmbH built. After completion, the three partners, who already jointly operate a nursing school in Hohenlind, will use the new school to train their nursing staff.
Representatives of the St. Elisabeth Hospital, the NRW Ministry of Health and the city at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new nursing school, including Frank Dunnwald (3. v. l.).
Education needs ambience
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is subsidizing the construction of the innovative nursing school to the tune of 1.7 million euros, with the partners contributing part of the costs from their own funds. A large part is financed by the Pax Bank. "With her we have found what we were looking for", Says Frank Dunnwald, general manager of the St. Elisabeth Hospital. For example, she showed the builders ways in which they can use funds from the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (K) and the NRW.Bank to obtain favorable conditions. "This was very convincing and also made sense in terms of the economic presentation", explains the 55-year-old Dunnwald. "The needs-based advice then led to a good financing offer and thus tipped the scales in favor of Pax-Bank."
With the construction of the new nursing school, the Cologne partners would like to improve the training of nursing specialists. Make grooming specialist, as the profession has been called since January 2020, more attractive again. "We want to attract more young people to the nursing profession again. It is no secret that there is currently a shortage of well-trained caregivers", means the managing director. "Therefore, we need a school building with its finger on the pulse of time. education needs ambience – of that I am convinced."
Frank Dunnwald
Executive Director St. Elisabeth Hospital
We need a nursing school with its finger on the pulse of the times
In the innovative grooming school, the partners can offer just that. The new building creates a modern environment in which the trainees can exchange and learn in the best possible way. After completion, 225 people can be trained in the school each year – up to now there have been 150 at the old location. The fully air-conditioned building consists of five floors with classrooms, practice rooms, a library and group study rooms. The classrooms will all have WLAN and will be equipped with interactive blackboards, so-called BigPads.
New nursing training
The training to the care specialist and/or. to the care specialist bundles since January 2020 the training as the health and nurse (m/f), as the geriatric nurse (m/f) as well as the health and child nurse (m/f). During training, trainees learn about all areas of care. Can subsequently choose any of these professions.
Practical learning
Unique to Cologne will be the SkillsLab, an observation and control room. There, situations from everyday nursing care can be simulated, in which the trainees apply their theoretically acquired knowledge. The technical equipment in this room makes it possible to digitally record the simulated care situations via a camera and evaluate them together with the trainees – the simulations can be controlled from the control room. "Using the SkillsLab, for example, we can create stressful situations and show future nurses how to stay calm and make the right decisions even during them", says Dunnwald. "This is a real added value."
Sustainable funding
In terms of climate technology, the new nursing school will also be particularly sustainable once it is completed. "We build the building in the efficiency standard K 55", explains Frank Dunnwald. This means that the school requires only 55 percent of the energy of a conventional new building. "Fortunately, we applied for the grant at a time when this was still possible", is pleased Dunnwald
Savings are achieved through appropriate facade insulation, a photovoltaic system, a green roof and controlled room ventilation. "The new nursing school is an innovative and sustainable project across the board, and I look forward to when we can open it to our trainees next year.", so Dunnwald finally.