Our carers - our future! Interview on the occasion of the International Day of Carers

International Nurses' Day is held every year on 12 May to mark the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of nursing. Organised by the International Council of Nurses, this year's theme is "Our Nurses. Our Future". The aim is to draw attention to the importance of carers now and in the future.

In this interview, Prof Dr Margareta Halek, Head of the School of Nursing Science and Dean of the Faculty of Health at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H), talks about this importance and what gives her hope for the future of the nursing profession.

"Our Nurses. Our Future." is the motto of this year's Nurses' Day. As Head of a School of Nursing Science and Dean of a Faculty of Health, what do you associate with this?

Prof Dr Margareta Halek: Carers are the driving force behind a functioning healthcare system. This means that we should not only applaud this professional group in crisis situations because we suddenly realise how important they are. Carers are important for all levels of society and for every citizen. They care for the most vulnerable in society and stand by those who need help and support. They contribute to a healthy, responsible and stable society.

The motto of this year's Carers' Day is linked to the four key words Invest, Protect, Respect and Value. What do these mean to you?

MH: These keywords should be understood as a challenge. As a call to work on the future of the associate and therefore also on the future of care.

Invest, for example, is associated with the call to not only focus on the further development, expansion and financing of cutting-edge medicine when planning the future of excellent healthcare; nursing care must be given the same level of political commitment and prepared for future challenges. We need these strong and serious signals to motivate qualified specialists and to further develop nursing care through academic teaching and research in the same way as cutting-edge medicine.

We must alsoprotect nursing professions as an indispensable occupational group from burning out in their appointment and their commitment to other people(Protect). Working conditions must be created in which carers can talk about their often very stressful day-to-day work, about grievances both in their working environment and in society. This also means that they receive the respect they deserve from politicians and society. And it implies that the caring profession as a whole receives more appreciation(value)- not through nice words of encouragement, but through equivalence in all decisions that affect the health care of the associate.

What gives you hope when you look to the future of the caring professions?

MH: What gives me hope is that we have committed and well-trained young nurses in all areas and in many different positions: In science, in management, in practice and increasingly also in politics, there are leaders who have the potential to advance and develop nursing. The gradually differentiating university and research landscape in the field of nursing is also contributing to this.

And so do we as Witten/Herdecke University. How is the UW/H strengthening the role of carers?

MH: The management of hospitals, care facilities and outpatient care services in particular is becoming increasingly aware that there is a great need for professionalisation and further development in the care sector. More than ever, visionaries are needed to drive forward urgently needed changes in the health care system - we are training them in our two Master's degree programmes in "Nursing Science" and "Community Health Nursing" at Witten/Herdecke University. As academically trained nursing experts, they can make a significant contribution to research and practice, develop innovations and thus put nursing practice on a sustainable foundation.