My path to becoming an APN was characterised by the desire to develop further and take on responsibility. This desire already existed after my training as a healthcare and nursing assistant, which I completed at the Pius Hospital in Oldenburg. I worked on an interdisciplinary admission ward there. I quickly realised that I wanted more than just routine nursing work. I wanted to develop professionally and take on more responsibility.

So I took over the management of the interdisciplinary admission ward and completed further education in middle management. However, I lacked the nursing science background to be able to act as a role model for my staff and on an equal footing with my medical colleagues when working with patients.

That's why I decided to study for a bachelor's degree in nursing science at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. There I learnt how practical nursing science can be. In order to expand my boundaries in the transfer and generation of knowledge in nursing practice, I then completed the APN Master's programme at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences.

There I deepened my knowledge and specialised in the patient group "chronically ill people in acute hospitals". I was able to put the scientific content directly into practice and was consciously recognised by my own colleagues from other disciplines, especially the medical profession.

My day-to-day work as an APN at Pius Hospital is very varied and involves a wide range of tasks. Essentially, I work closely with the nursing experts and take on the technical management of the nursing area.

In concrete terms, this means that I support and advise the various nursing experts - such as wound experts, nursing experts for practice development or delirium experts. Together we work out goals that they want to achieve within a certain period of time and I motivate them to take part in congresses and also give presentations themselves. It gives me great pleasure to see how motivated the nursing experts are in tackling their tasks, getting involved and developing their area in order to provide even better care for patients. I support nursing management and other nursing executives in dealing with complex nursing areas of activity. This includes, for example, topics that are based on the expert standards in nursing, such as pressure ulcer prevention or nutrition management for our vulnerable patient groups. Here, I act as a mediator between the areas so that these topics can also be implemented well in practice.

For example, I work with IT to adapt care documentation and assessments, or with hygiene to integrate evidence-based knowledge into practice.

The focus is always on our patients and their needs and requirements, as well as the needs of carers, in order to achieve the goal of providing adequate healthcare in an acute inpatient setting.

I particularly enjoy working with the carers. It's great to see how motivated and passionate they are about their academic appointments. The AHA experiences in working groups with different professional groups are also very enriching. By this I mean, for example, getting to know the views and working methods of other colleagues. But also making the other professional groups understand why we as carers act the way we do and that these actions have a right to be taken into account in the healthcare of our patients.

I think it's great to work in the interests of patients and their needs. When I empower carers by imparting new knowledge and receiving positive re-registering students, it confirms me in my work.

We are all carers and have the same goal, which is to help other people. For me, it is important to show what nursing can and does do and to communicate this to other professional groups and the patient group. And, of course, to underpin our actions with nursing science, i.e. to put our own actions as carers on a sound footing.

Last but not least, I really appreciate being able to work in a team that is characterised by community, shared values and goals.

In my view, APNs are necessary in Germany for several reasons. Firstly, because of the increasing complexity of care. Our patients are getting older and older and often have several chronic illnesses. This requires more complex care that goes beyond the traditional distribution and management of tasks in hospitals or other settings. APNs can use their expertise and extended scope of action to improve the quality of care and optimise treatment processes. APNs contribute to improving patient safety through their expertise and their orientation towards evidence-based practice. They can recognise risks at an early stage and initiate appropriate measures.

They also contribute to strengthening the nursing profession. The role of the APN is an attractive career prospect for nurses and strengthens the nursing profession as a whole. The academisation and specialisation of nursing increases the autonomy and appreciation of nursing.

For the future of APNs in Germany, I would above all like to see their competences enshrined in law - nationwide. It is important that the tasks and areas of responsibility of APNs are clearly defined in order to strengthen their role in the healthcare system and give them more room for manoeuvre.

In addition, further roles and areas of activity should be developed for APNs who are actively involved in patient care. This is crucial in order to provide future nurses with an ideal image and motivation for academic training.

Through this development, I hope that APNs will also be better recognised and accepted by other professional groups. Clear positioning and recognition of their expertise are important so that APNs can develop their full potential for the benefit of patients.

APNs have the opportunity to significantly improve healthcare in Germany. Academisation and the acquisition of extended skills are creating new fields of activity for APNs.

One example is the care of chronically ill people. A look across the pond makes it clear that APNs provide care of the same quality as doctors, for example in the diagnosis and treatment of people with diabetes or lung diseases.

The holistic view of the patient's situation is crucial and therefore a core competence of APNs. APNs not only consider the disease, but the person as a whole - with their individual needs, their social environment and their personal goals. This approach enables comprehensive and patient-centred care.