On June 24, 2026, approximately 200 participants gathered for the 8th Nursing Symposium, held under the theme “Good Leadership – Good Care.” The event was hosted by the Federal Employment Agency (Rhineland-Palatinate-Saarland Regional Directorate), the metropolitan area Rhine-Neckar, and the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG). The audience was deliberately diverse: specialists and managers from nursing facilities, hospitals, and outpatient care services met with employees from local governments and nursing schools, as well as representatives from the Federal Employment Agencies and job centers. The focus was on how effective leadership can be achieved under increasingly complex conditions—and what role it plays in ensuring high-quality care.
Joint Opening: “
” The day was opened by Benjamin Wehbring, Chief Operating Officer of the Rhineland-Palatinate-Saarland Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency; Ralph Schlusche, Director of the Rhine-Neckar Regional Association; and Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller, President of HWG Ludwigshafen. In their welcoming remarks and opening interview, they emphasized that securing skilled workers, ensuring good working conditions, and fostering a culture of appreciation among leadership in the care sector are closely intertwined—and that the Rhine-Neckar region bears a shared responsibility in this regard among universities, employment agencies, and local stakeholders.
Keynote: Knowledge as a Key Resource in Nursing
Prof. Dr. Nicole Seiler from HWG Ludwigshafen provided the expert insight with her presentation “Knowledge as a Key Resource in Nursing.” She demonstrated that professional knowledge, qualifications at multiple levels, and sound decision-making skills are becoming central prerequisites for effective leadership. The general consensus was that leaders must not only possess this knowledge themselves but also systematically make it available within the team, share it, and translate it into everyday work practices. Prof. Dr. Seiler coupled this with a call to consistently view nursing as a knowledge-based profession and to understand leadership as a task that actively creates spaces for learning and reflection.
Four Expert Forums: From Resilience to the New Role as a Supervisor
In two sessions, the participants then delved deeper into four practice-oriented expert forums. In Forum 1, Petra Weber (F+U Academy for Economics and Social Services) addressed the resilience of leaders and the question of how they can remain strong in challenging times. In Forum 2, Christine Christmann and Martin Ulrich (Grünstadt District Hospital) presented, under the title “Free Means Free. Period,” presented new approaches to dealing with staff absences. In Forum 3, Steffen Jugowetz (University Medical Center Mannheim) provided guidance on leadership in complex times, and in Forum 4, Yvonne Peters (AWO Frankenthal) facilitated a discussion on the often-underestimated transition “From Colleague to Supervisor.” The parallel structure allowed participants to specifically choose the topics relevant to them and to exchange experiences across institutions and sectors.
A Look to the Future: What Will Tomorrow’s Leadership Look Like?
To conclude, the speakers synthesized the insights from the forums in a joint discussion centered on the key question: “What will tomorrow’s leadership looklike?” It became clear that good leadership in nursing is not an end in itself, but has a direct impact on the quality of care, the retention of skilled staff, and the attractiveness of the profession.
The Nursing Symposium took place for the eighth time and has established itself as a permanent platform for professional exchange in the metropolitan area Rhine-Neckar. HWG Ludwigshafen contributes its expertise in nursing science to the event, combining scientific perspectives with the demands of practical care.
Contact
Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society
Prof. Dr. Nicole Seiler
Email: nicole.seiler@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
