Combating the shortage of skilled workers: Care initiatives 2022

Due to the many retirements of the baby boomer generation, there are fewer carers available every year - this is one of the reasons for the shortage of skilled workers.

Covid-19 has also contributed to this shortage, but there are other causes too: There is talk of increasing workloads, a lack of consistency at work due to high staff turnover and young people who like to work part-time.

The university hospital is focusing on specific measures to position itself as an attractive employer and thus attract more nurses - and retain them.

In 2022, various campaigns were run as part of the training initiative at the USB. Appearances at careers fairs, "Look insides" for schools and a revised online presence support the image of a modern, exciting training company.

Social media activities with a particular focus on Generation Z were continued and the community was further expanded. The University Hospital is also increasingly receiving applications from nurses who do not have sufficient language skills - a concept for in-service German courses has been developed for this purpose.

The new lateral entry training program is aimed at people with an EFZ qualification who would like to train in nursing or radiology. Since summer 2022, the USB has been training ten people as part of the first lateral entry program to become a qualified nursing specialist HF or qualified radiology specialist HF - demand was very high in radiology, while there is still room for expansion in nursing.

Such training places, which are also offered on a part-time basis, are also planned for 2023. Since this year, the USB has been offering individual training modules during the probationary period to those returning to work , ensuring that skills are refreshed and gaps in knowledge are closed in the long term.