Specialists for Pediatric Nursing

Innovative solution for recognition

In almost every hospital, pediatric nurses are in short supply; in some cases, pediatric, neonatology, or pediatric oncology wards even have to be closed due to staff shortages. One reason is the high staffing ratio requirements of the Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA), which, for example in neonatal intensive care, lead to urgently needed care capacities being taken out of service. Only professionals with a qualification in pediatric nursing and corresponding specialist further training are counted. Until now, the recognition in Germany of fully trained pediatric nurses from abroad has almost never been successful. Now, TalentOrange, together with Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG), has developed an innovative solution.

6500 open positions in pediatric nursing

This was necessary because the shortage is so severe: According to Berufsverband Kinderkrankenpflege e.V., 48,200 pediatric nurses are currently working in Germany - but 6,500 positions in inpatient pediatric and adolescent medicine alone remain unfilled. The reasons are varied: experienced nursing professionals are retiring, while demand for pediatric care is rising at the same time. The introduction of generalist nursing training has resulted in fewer young people specializing in pediatric nursing – currently, they account for only 0.8 percent of nursing trainees.

Generalist nursing training is exacerbating the shortage

This is because pediatric nursing receives too little attention in generalist nursing training: while at least 400 hours must be completed in inpatient long-term care and 400 hours in outpatient care, only 120 hours are required in pediatric care. And those do not even have to be completed in a hospital, but can be done in a daycare center. Graduates would then have “not seen any truly sick children”; pediatric and adolescent nursing departments in hospitals would have to provide extensive “additional qualification” for people who are supposedly already fully trained, said Julia Venzke, teacher at the pediatric nursing school “Auf der Bult” in Hanover. In April 2026, she submitted a petition to the German Bundestag calling for the retention of specialization in health and pediatric nursing.

The solution: professionals from abroad

This is where TalentOrange comes in. Together with Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG), the Frankfurt-based staffing service provider has taken a new approach: 22 young nursing professionals from Brazil, selected locally by UMG nursing management, completed a 300-hour internship in pediatrics, neonatology, and pediatric cardiology at a renowned teaching hospital in their home country after passing the B2 German exam. During this time, monthly Onboarding meetings were held with UMG ward managers – already in German. For example, they discussed how what the professionals were currently learning during their internship is implemented at UMG. Kirsten Brodowski and Ursula Sanz, heads of the pediatric intensive care unit, say: "Through the online meetings, we already got to know each other well, and our anticipation of meeting one another kept growing. Month by month, we were also able to follow the progress of the language training virtually live." A particular success of this Onboarding process: none of the selected talents dropped out during the process, all passed the B2 exam, and all entered Germany. After arrival, each talent was assigned one or two mentors from the existing team.

Recognition authority involved from the outset

The Lower Saxony state authority responsible for the recognition of pediatric nurses was involved in the process from the very beginning. It issued the assessment notices accordingly; UMG set up its own adaptation course for this group. All participants complete placements in neonatology, pediatric cardiology, child and adolescent psychiatry, psychosomatics, general pediatrics, pediatric oncology, and pediatric surgery. "They also have to complete three weeks in geriatric care," says Sanz, "that could not be avoided."

UMG wants to remain a Level 1 care center

The first eleven future pediatric nurses arrived in March 2026. Another eight will arrive in July and three in September 2026. Due to the high standard of nursing education, Brazil is a highly suitable country of origin for recruiting this professional group. "After the adaptation course, all our talents will complete the two-year specialist further training in pediatric intensive care nursing," says Simone Stender, the responsible nursing manager. To ensure Level 1 center care for premature babies under the 32nd week of pregnancy, it is necessary to have a sufficient number of specialized pediatric nursing professionals on every shift. "We achieve this by recruiting this group from Brazil," says Simone Stender. The pediatric intensive care unit at UMG has 20 beds, of which currently only15 can be occupied. Thanks to the professionals from Brazil, that is set to change again.

"We laugh more."

Tilman Frank, Managing Director of TalentOrange, says: “With this innovative approach, we have finally found a solution to our clients’ urgent need for pediatric nurses.” Universitätsmedizin Göttingen also draws a positive conclusion. Simone Stender, nursing manager, says: “We are very satisfied. Everyone in the group speaks good German and is settling in quickly. The recognition pathway for pediatric nursing works. We are already looking forward to the arrival of the next group.” She says they are all eager to learn and work proactively. The two ward managers have noticed something else as well: "Although our work here is sometimes quite serious and difficult, the atmosphere has improved because of the many young people and their joie de vivre. We laugh more."