At the same time, this field offers attractive career prospects for nursing staff. Many of them appreciate the independent working style and personal contact with patients. In addition to varied activities, outpatient care also offers good opportunities for further training and advancement.
What is outpatient care?
Outpatient care encompasses the professional care and support of people in need of care in their own homes. The aim is to maintain the independence and quality of life of those affected and enable them to live in familiar surroundings.
In contrast to inpatient care, where people in need of care live permanently in a facility such as a nursing home, nursing staff in outpatient care come directly to the patient's home. There they perform medical, nursing and support tasks.
Outpatient care is aimed at people with different care needs. These include older people with age-related limitations as well as people with chronic illnesses, disabilities or those who have been hospitalised. Care is provided in close cooperation with relatives, doctors and other health professionals.
Who can work in outpatient care?
Various professional groups work together in outpatient care to ensure comprehensive care. At the core are the nursing professionals, who take on professional responsibility based on their training and qualifications.
The most important professional groups include:
- Nursing professionals
- Geriatric nurses
- Healthcare and nursing professionals
- Paediatric nurses
- Nursing assistants
- Remedial therapists
While nursing assistants perform supporting tasks, it is primarily the nursing professionals who carry out medical procedures, plan care processes and ensure the quality of care.
Requirements and career path
The most important requirement for working as a nurse in outpatient care is to have completed vocational training in a nursing profession. Since the reform of nursing training, this has been done in Germany through generalist training to become a registered nurse. Alternatively, qualifications in geriatric care or health and nursing care are also possible.
The training usually lasts three years and includes both theoretical content and practical assignments in various areas of care. During this time, prospective nursing professionals acquire comprehensive knowledge in the fields of nursing science, anatomy, pathology and communication.
In addition to professional qualifications, certain personal qualities play an important role. These include a sense of responsibility, empathy, social skills, resilience and good communication skills. Since nursing professionals in outpatient care often work independently, it is also important to be able to make decisions independently and assess situations correctly.
Outpatient care – tasks
The tasks in outpatient care are varied and include nursing, medical and support activities. Nursing professionals are responsible for providing professional care that takes into account the individual situation of each patient.
One of the most important tasks is to provide support with basic activities such as personal hygiene, dressing, nutrition and mobility. The aim is to maintain the independence of those in need of care for as long as possible. Another essential part of outpatient care is carrying out medically prescribed measures. These include, for example, administering medication, treating wounds or measuring vital signs such as blood pressure.
Advising patients and their relatives on care issues, drawing up care plans and documenting the measures carried out are also important tasks. Depending on requirements, support in everyday areas such as shopping, housekeeping or organising doctor's appointments may also be part of the job.
Daily routine – example
A typical working day in outpatient care often begins early in the morning. It starts with a handover, during which important information about the patients is exchanged. The nurse then begins their shift, which usually involves several home visits to different patients.
During the first home visit, for example, they assist an elderly patient with their morning hygiene routine, help them get dressed and administer their prescribed medication. They then document the measures they have taken.
The next visit may involve treating a chronic wound. Here, the nurse cleans the wound, applies a new dressing and checks the healing process. Further home visits are scheduled for the rest of the day, for example to check vital signs, assist with mobility or advise relatives.
Between assignments, the nurse is on the road and organises their own route. This independent way of working is one of the special features of outpatient care. At the end of the shift, the final documentation is completed and, if necessary, handed over to colleagues.
Outpatient care – differences to inpatient care
Outpatient care differs significantly from inpatient care in several respects. While hospitals and nursing homes care for many patients in one place, outpatient care takes place in the home environment.
Outpatient care nurses look after their patients individually and in their personal living environment, resulting in more personalised care.
Another difference lies in the working hours. In inpatient care, nursing staff are often involved in shift systems with night and weekend shifts, while outpatient care is characterised by split shifts, with assignments in the morning and late afternoon.
The way of working also differs, as nursing staff in outpatient care often work more independently and make many decisions themselves on site.
Advantages for nursing staff
Many nursing professionals consciously choose outpatient care because they see several advantages in this area. First of all, providing care in a home environment often leads to a closer and more trusting relationship with patients than in a hospital setting, which many particularly appreciate.
The fact that there are generally fewer night shifts in this field, resulting in a better work-life balance, can also play a major role.
In addition, outpatient care offers the opportunity to work independently and organise assignments yourself. This strengthens professional autonomy and confidence in one's own abilities. The constantly changing work environment, which brings new situations and challenges every day, is also particularly appealing to many nursing staff.
Outpatient care – earning potential
Earning potential in outpatient care has improved significantly in recent years. The gross monthly salary for a qualified nurse starting out is now often between €3,300 and €3,600, with experienced professionals able to expect salary increases of up to €4,200.
The decisive factors here are the region and the binding nature of collective agreements such as the TVöD (collective agreement for civil servants) or church guidelines. In addition to the basic salary, tax-free allowances for weekend or holiday work often increase net income by several hundred euros. Furthermore, additional qualifications enable salary increases to over €4,800. This package is often supplemented by benefits such as company cars for private use, company pension schemes or training budgets, which make outpatient care economically competitive with inpatient care.
Outpatient care – further training and career opportunities
Outpatient care offers nursing professionals a wide range of opportunities for professional development. Through targeted further training, they can expand their specialist knowledge and take on new tasks.
The most important areas of further training include:
- Wound management
- Pain management
- Palliative care
- Hygiene and quality management
- Geriatric psychiatric care
In addition, there are opportunities for further training in management roles, enabling nursing staff to advance to positions such as nursing service manager. This training can also take place as part of a degree programme, with courses such as nursing management, nursing science or health management enabling graduates to take on roles in management or quality management.
Conclusion
As a cornerstone of our healthcare system, outpatient care is becoming increasingly relevant due to demographic change. It guarantees those in need of care a dignified old age in their own homes and at the same time offers skilled workers a varied and challenging working environment.
The job profile is characterised by a high degree of autonomy and freedom of decision-making. Far removed from everyday clinical ward life, outpatient care enables intensive one-to-one care that can create deep bonds and combines professional expertise with personal appreciation. Flexible tour schedules and family-friendly working time models also make the profession easy to reconcile with private life plans.
Thanks to collective bargaining agreements and performance bonuses, salaries in outpatient care are now on a par with those in inpatient facilities. Those who wish to specialise benefit from excellent career opportunities and a crisis-proof job. Outpatient care is therefore a good choice for qualified professionals who want to combine meaningful work and independence with professional success.
Jobs in outpatient care
If you are currently looking for a suitable job in outpatient care, you will find what you are looking for at Medi-Karriere.de. Here you will find numerous job offers for nursing professionals, but also for many other medical professions.
Author: Nicolas Simon / Medi-Karriere