School of Nursing Science
Chair of Community Health Nursing (CHN)
Innovative approaches to the further development of primary healthcare
Against the backdrop of demographic change and the associated reorientation of the health and care system, innovative approaches to the further development of primary healthcare are urgently needed.
One promising approach, which has long been established in countries such as Canada, the UK and Finland, is ‘Community Health Nursing’ (CHN). In Germany, this approach has so far only been implemented to a limited extent. It encompasses an expanded scope of nursing practice within primary care, in which well-trained nursing professionals carry out simple medical tasks directly in the community, offer advice, assist with disease management, or make everyday life easier for people with chronic or mental health conditions. The community health nurse plays a central role in this.
The aim of the Chair of Community Health Nursing is to play a key role in shaping these developments and to fully implement the concept in Germany; the role and responsibilities of the nursing profession are to be developed within the context of primary care, and opportunities for implementation are to be identified. The Chair represents the field of Community Health Nursing in research and teaching. Research activities focus on investigating the application of relevant innovations.
Multiprofessional collaboration plays a key role in this. The Chair attaches particular importance to supporting and involving the next generation of scholars in research and teaching. As a Citizens’ university and in line with the principle of ‘Patient and Public Involvement’ (PPI), patient representatives are involved in the conception, planning and development phases of every new research project. Close collaboration with the CHN network partners is sought.
Chair holder
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Oliver Herber
Chair holder
Faculty of Health (School of Nursing Science) | Chair of Community Health Nursing
Programme Coordinator M.Sc. Community Health Nursing
Faculty of Health (School of Nursing Science)
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58455 Witten
Room number: C-1.195
Research
Research specialisation: ‘Improving self-care among people with chronic conditions’
Self-care plays an important role for patients with chronic conditions. The term ‘self-care’ refers to specific activities carried out with the aim of improving or restoring health and well-being, and treating or preventing illness. Self-care encompasses general health decisions that people make regarding physical activity, a healthy diet, good hygiene, self-medication and avoiding health risks such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. Self-care is therefore about personal empowerment, choice, informed decision-making and physical autonomy.
Further information: Self-care in the context of community health nursing
More and more people are turning to self-care to manage their own health needs, as they recognise the limitations of our fragile healthcare system. This is particularly true when it comes to managing complex, long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity or heart failure. Good self-care can play a crucial role in preventing the onset and progression of chronic diseases and in reducing the risk of complications. The scope of self-care ranges from managing minor ailments to dealing with long-term conditions and rehabilitation. Individuals practise self-care either independently or with the support of family members and/or healthcare professionals or GPs. The community health nurse plays a particularly important role here, as their qualifications make them especially well-suited to empowering people with chronic conditions to practise self-care. Improving self-care is a key concept in the management of many types of chronic conditions.
People with chronic conditions, their carers and family members are recognised as co-producers of health. Self-care reflects patients’ desire for greater autonomy, but also carries the risk of them becoming overwhelmed. It must be recognised that self-care is not possible for everyone and that some people do not have family support that could help them. The aim of this research specialisation is therefore to conduct patient-centred research from the perspective of people living with chronic conditions, in order to shed light on the diverse aspects of self-care that are relevant to people’s lives and thereby create a solid evidence base for improving self-care competence.
Completed research projects
- ACHIEVE Study – About the project
Publications
Teaching
The Chair of Community Health Nursing is responsible for the design, strategic development and delivery of the Master’s degree programme of the same name Community Health Nursing (CHN). The degree programme prepares students for a career path that is becoming increasingly important in Germany: nursing professionals with additional qualifications undertake preventive and advisory roles within the community and support people with chronic conditions and/or disabilities. Furthermore, they are able to provide medical services that were previously the preserve of the medical profession.
Ideally, students on the Master’s degree programme in Community Health Nursing and those studying medicine attend courses together, thereby facilitating interprofessional learning whilst still at university and strengthening interprofessional collaboration in their future careers. In terms of content, the degree programme focuses on three areas: primary healthcare, care for people with chronic conditions, and community-based care.
This takes into account the entire human lifespan, with its respective specific care needs. Different vulnerable target groups are considered across the various stages of life. This prepares students for a wide range of diverse care settings.
As a special feature, Witten/Herdecke University, in cooperation with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), offers a double-degree programme . Students on the Community Health Nursing (M. Sc.) program can obtain an additional Master’s degree at the partner university. In their third year of study, students from Witten move to Winterthur in Switzerland to deepen their knowledge and gain valuable insights for an international career abroad. In Winterthur, they complete modules from the MSc in Nursing or MSc in Midwifery, thereby qualifying for advanced roles in nursing as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) or Advanced Midwife Practitioner (AMP).
The team at the Chair of Community Health Nursing
Claudia Kuhr
Assistance
Faculty of Health (School of Nursing Science) | Chair of Community Health Nursing
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58455 WittenRoom number: C-1.196
Sandra Wöbeking
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Nursing Science) | Chair of Community Health Nursing
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58455 WittenRoom number: 1.200