DOI: 10.12968/ijap.2026.0071 ISSN: 2753-5924
Advanced practice nursing in Germany at a turning point
Andreas Dirksen, Lea Kauffmann, Rebecca PalmGermany has a strong international reputation for research, yet nursing research and advanced practice nursing remain relatively young fields. This spotlight examines the development of advanced practice nursing in Germany, from the gradual move towards academic nursing education to the emergence of advanced clinical roles in practice. Drawing on examples from neuro-oncology and cardiology, the authors explore how advanced practice nurses are working within a system that currently lacks national regulation, protected titles and defined scopes of practice, and consider what proposed legislative changes could mean for the future of advanced nursing practice in Germany.