Due to significant changes in the Nursing Study Strengthening Act as of 1 January 2025, OTH Regensburg will launch a nursing programme expanded to include medical skills in the 2025/26 winter semester. In addition to the existing content, medical topics such as diabetic metabolism, chronic wounds and dementia will also be taught in future.
The change in the law will enhance the status of nursing studies and also strengthen the nursing profession. Students of university nursing education will in future be able to take on medical tasks on their own responsibility and thus make a valuable contribution to high-quality outpatient and inpatient acute and long-term care.
Close cooperation with the collaborating institutions is necessary for successful implementation, as teaching and examinations will also be supported by licensed medical professionals in future. For this reason, professors and staff from OTH met with representatives of the collaborating institutions for the first time on 4 August 2025 to plan the next steps and the transfer of theory into practice. The meeting focused on the integration of the healing modules into practical training and their possible applications at the various training providers.
‘Representatives from all relevant areas of outpatient care as well as inpatient acute and long-term care from the city and district of Regensburg and also from Amberg accepted our invitation to exchange ideas and discuss,’ says Prof. Dr. Dorothea Thieme, Professor of Nursing Science and Practice Coordinator in the Nursing programme at OTH Regensburg.
A particular challenge, but also a great opportunity, lies in the future joint design of the curricular requirements for the healing modules by representatives of the nursing and medical professions. Together, they can develop and implement key content areas in teaching and exam preparation for the healing modules.
‘The topic of internationalisation and the possibility of internships abroad for nursing students was also briefly discussed at the meeting. The current limitations regarding the creditability of hours completed abroad must first be clarified in order to enable a stronger international discourse for our students in the future,’ said Prof. Dr. Thieme.
Starting in the 2025/2026 winter semester, representatives of OTH Regensburg and the practical training providers will continue to meet regularly to ensure compliance with the legal requirements for the curriculum and a successful transfer of theory to practice.