Due to various factors, a shortage of skilled workers in the nursing professions is already current or to be expected (Castello, Dalichau, Lauxen & Schäfer, 2017). In addition, increasing bottlenecks are emerging in ensuring primary care physician services, especially in rural regions (Feiks, 2017). At the same time, the need for medical and nursing services in Rhineland-Palatinate is rising sharply, as one example illustrates: as a consequence of demographic change, current forecasts by the Rhineland-Palatinate Statistical Office assume that there will be more than 100,000 more people in need of nursing care in Rhineland-Palatinate in 2060 - an increase of 89% (Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz, 2017). In order to counteract the threatening undersupply of the population in rural areas with medical and nursing services, new approaches to solutions are necessary.

The sub-project^EB - "Care and Health" at the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences is addressing these challenges. Within the first project funding phase from October 2014 to January 2018, the initial focus was on a comprehensive needs assessment. For this purpose, existing data was collected with regard to the current status, the range of training and continuing education opportunities, and the need for skilled workers in the field of nursing and health. In addition, the national and international literature on Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) was researched and evaluated. Within the framework of the empirical needs assessment on health care, personnel development and lifelong learning, extensive quantitative and qualitative surveys were conducted among students of nursing-related courses of study in Rhineland-Palatinate, among nursing professionals and nursing service managers in outpatient nursing services as well as among family doctors in the model region of Western Palatinate. Based on this, the fundamentals of supply development were defined and qualification scenarios for an expanded community-based nursing practice were developed.

Taking these findings into account, scientific educational offers were developed in the form of advanced certificate courses. These courses were closely oriented to demand and tailored to the needs of working nursing professionals in outpatient care. At present, there are certificate courses on care strategies and psychosocial support for living with dementia at home, interprofessional communication in community-based health care, counseling, informing and training in care, and the certificateon ethics and law in community-based health care.

In the second funding phase of the sub-project^EB - "Nursing and Health" from February 2018 to July 2020, the concrete design as well as testing, evaluation and further development of the scientific educational offers followed. A complete test of two certificate courses as well as the partial test of selected events in the blended learning format from two other offers was carried out. In addition, concepts for public relations work were developed and the achievement of target groups was evaluated. Finally, the implementation of expanded professional roles in ambulatory health care was supported within the framework of a participatory research project involving nursing professionals and nursing service managers as well as family physicians and family caregivers.

Evidence:

Castello, M.; Dalichau, D.; Lauxen, O.; Schäfer, L. (2017): Reports from care - Expert opinion on the need for skilled workers in the health professions in Rhineland-Palatinate. Results from the state project "Branchenmonitoring und Ausbildungsbedarf Gesundheitsfachberufe Rheinland-Pfalz 2015" a project within the framework of the "Fachkräfte- und Qualifizierungsinitiative Gesundheitsfachberufe" of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor, Health and Demography Rhineland-Palatinate (No. 31). Institute for Economy, Work and Culture (IWAK), Center of the Goethe University Frankfurt a.M. Download.

Feiks, A. (2017): As-is survey on the supply of education and training and the demand for skilled workers in the field of nursing and health. Working and research reports from the project^EB - Education as an exponent of individual and regional development (11). Ludwigshafen am Rhein: Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences. Download

Rhineland-Palatinate State Statistical Office (2017): Rheinland-Pfalz 2060 - Auswirkungen des demografischen Wandels auf den Pflegebedarf (Basisjahr 2015) (Statistical Analyses). Download