Der Pflegenotstand der 1960er Jahre: Genese und kommunale Krisenbewältigung (EHMH)

The nursing crisis that developed in West Germany in the 1960s was considered a major

social challenge. The causes were complex and lay primarily in the denominational

motherhouse system, which gradually began to erode around this time. The problem

of a shortage of young staff went in tandem with the dissolution of the old structures

and was exacerbated by an expansion of the hospitals, which required more and

more personnel. The responses varied greatly from region to region. The example of

the city of Stuttgart serves an in-depth examination both of federal policy strategies

for solving the problem and of the specific implementation of these strategies within

local communities. Measures included advertising for new staff, diversifying training,

recruiting foreign nursing staff, and improving working conditions.