Health Care

“I’d been working as a nurse in India for a long time and wanted to get to know a new culture,” recounts Anitha Shaji. In November 2024, the 35-year-oldleft home in the state of Kerala, on the Malabar Coast ofSouth India, and came to Germany with clear-cut goals: to advance her career in nursing and to give her two kids access to a good education. “Germany offers plenty of opportunities for advanced training, whichis a way for me to expand my skill set.”

Getting accreditation in Germany

Shaji has several years of professional experiencein India, where she worked in various hospitals over the past eleven years–including emergency rooms, intensive care units and surgical wards. To getherprior qualifications recognized in Germany, sheis currently working for a year in the neurosurgery unit of the Freiburg University Hospital.

Trained nurses from other countries who want to work in Germany have to get their professional qualifications validated, which involves having their training certificates checked by the competent German authority. In some cases,they maybe required to take an “adaptation” course or an exam. In most cases, however, the accreditation process involves working for a year coupled with theoretical instruction, culminating in a final state examination. Also required is proof of atleast B2-level German language proficiency as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Trained nurses from abroad often get help and support from state programmes or from specialized placement agencies and hiring hospitals and healthcare facilities.

After passing her exams and obtaining a license to practise as a registered nurse in Germany, Shaji wants to bring her family over–her husband and two children still live in India. “I miss my family,” shesays.But she has high hopes of being reunited with them soon: “My husband and children are just starting German classes. My husband wants to work in Germany too.”It’s clear to Shaji that speaking the language is the key–not just to her professional future, but to integrating into German society in general. “A good command of the language is crucial, in nursing and in everyday life,” she says.

Misunderstandings can easily come about in conversation with patients and colleagues and even at the supermarket. Which is why she recommends, “If you want to learn German, it’s best to take a class with a well-trained German teacher at a public institution.”

A new home in Freiburg

Shaji has found a new home in the university hospital’s dormitory for staff members. She has a room to herself there and shares a kitchen with coworkers from various countries. It’s a perfect opportunity toget to know new people.“I’ve made lots of new friends there,”she says. And she gets on well with her coworkers: “They’re very friendly and always glad to help when I have a question. ”She likes living in Freiburg too. “The people here are very nice. I really like the laid-back atmosphere.”

Needless to say, not everything came easy to her. The cold winters took some getting used to. And at first she missed Indian food.“But now I try German food every so often–and I really like it!” she says laughing. She’s particularly partial to a classic dessert here: German cheesecake.

Besides the challenges of learning a new language and culture, Shaji also has to learn a different way of working:“In India, we keep records of everything on paper. In Germany, everything is digitally documented.”But newcomers can get help with that, too: “The university hospital offers a course in digital documentation.”She’s pleasantly surprised by German work culture in general. “In India, it’s normal to work overtime. Here, your time off is respected and there’s a good work-life balance.”

Translated from the German by Eric Rosencrantz