Pflegenetzwerk Oberberg e.V. once again brings central future issues of nursing into public discourse Keynote speeches and panel discussion with nursing experts

Oberbergischer Kreis – The Pflegenetzwerk Oberberg e. V. continues its dialogue format „P.NetO asks…“ and once again brings key future questions of nursing into public discussion. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, starting at 4:30 PM at the Innovation Hub in Gummersbach.

The ongoing shortage of skilled workers poses challenges for nursing facilities, municipalities, and politics. International nursing professionals are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, their recruitment, recognition, integration, and long-term retention come with organizational, legal, and financial hurdles. This year's event will therefore focus on the question of how international nursing in the Oberberg district can be sustainably shaped.

The event brings together representatives from nursing practice, academia, administration, and politics. They will jointly discuss how international nursing professionals can be successfully recruited, supported, and retained long-term. The goal is to make experiences visible, identify challenges, and jointly develop solutions for the Oberberg district.

After the welcome address by the Pflegenetzwerk Oberberg e. V. and a greeting from District Administrator Klaus Grootens, a keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Frank Schulz-Nieswandt (University of Cologne) will provide a professional framework. In the subsequent panel discussion, stakeholders from nursing facilities, associations, administration, and politics will discuss framework conditions, practical examples, and perspectives on international nursing.
The full program of the event is available on the Pflegenetzwerk website at www.pneto.de.

„International professionals are an important part of the future of nursing. At the same time, we know how complex and challenging the path to achieving this is. With our dialogue format, we want to address this: listen, learn from each other, and jointly consider how we can make processes in the Oberberg district more practical and reliable,“ says Nicole Breidenbach, Managing Director of the Pflegenetzwerk Oberberg.

The event is aimed at nursing facilities, providers, professionals, political representatives, as well as interested parties from administration and society.

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, starting at 4:30 PM
Location: Innovation HUB, Steinmüllerallee 7, 51643 Gummersbach

After the panel discussion, interested guests are invited to engage in conversations with each other.

Admission for members/non-members: €45.00 / €90.00
Registrations are possible until March 17, 2026: natalie.pille@obk.de