The New Nursing Law 2026: What the BEEP Act Changes for Care Facilities

As of 1 January 2026, something fundamental has changed for nursing in Germany: under the new nursing law – the Nursing Competence Act, now known as the BEEP Act – qualified nurses may for the first time perform certain medical tasks independently. This article explains what the new law actually regulates, what changes for facilities, and how it relates to the staffing shortage.

What is the new nursing law of 2026?

When people currently talk about the "new nursing law," they usually mean two reforms:

The Nursing Competence Act (Pflegekompetenzgesetz) – in force since 1 January 2026. The federal government renamed it the "Act on Expanding Competencies and Cutting Bureaucracy in Nursing" (the BEEP Act). The name says it all: it expands the competencies of qualified nurses while cutting bureaucracy.

The Nursing Assistance Act (Pflegefachassistenzgesetz) – from 2027 it creates a single, nationwide professional profile and standardised training for nursing assistants.

Both laws share the same goal: to make the nursing profession more attractive, use skills more effectively, and safeguard care in the face of demographic change.

Expanded competencies: what nurses may now do independently

The heart of the BEEP Act: for the first time, qualified nurses in Germany may independently carry out medical tasks that were previously reserved exclusively for doctors. The law defines three clearly delineated areas:

Wound care – independent assessment, treatment and documentation of wounds, plus prescribing wound-care materials and aids without a prior doctor's prescription.

Diabetes – independent blood-sugar monitoring, insulin-dose adjustment and patient education, plus prescribing test strips and insulin accessories.

Dementia – independent assessments, non-pharmacological interventions and family counselling, plus planning and delivering person-centred care concepts.

The prerequisite is the appropriate qualification. A nationwide framework defines which tasks nurses may take on independently and which competencies they must demonstrate.

Cutting bureaucracy: less documentation, more time for care

The second part of the name – cutting bureaucracy – is at least as relevant for many facilities. Nursing documentation is being reduced to the necessary minimum and focused on the content genuinely required for care, traceability and inspection. Quality checks are also to be simplified.

The aim: nurses should spend less time at the desk and more time with the people who need care – a factor that plays a major role in retaining staff.

The Nursing Assistance Act: standardised training from 2027

Alongside the BEEP Act, the Bundestag has passed the Nursing Assistance Act. It replaces the roughly 27 different state-level regulations with a single, nationwide 18-month training programme, creating a clear, standalone professional profile for nursing assistants.

For facilities this means more predictability and nationally comparable qualifications – plus an additional, clearly defined entry route into nursing that is especially attractive for career changers and assistant staff.

What does the new nursing law mean for employers and facilities?

For providers, care homes and home-care services, the reform brings both opportunities and a need to adapt:

More responsibility for nurses – those given expanded competencies work more independently and in a more valued role. That makes the profession more attractive and can improve staff retention.

Relief at the interface with doctors – processes such as wound care or diabetes management can become leaner, because a doctor's prescription is no longer needed for every step.

Less bureaucracy – reduced documentation requirements free up time, but call for adjusted internal processes and training.

New qualification requirements – to use the new competencies, facilities must ensure their nurses can demonstrate and maintain the required skills.

In short: the law strengthens the role of nursing, but requires facilities to adapt their processes, responsibilities and training offerings.

The new nursing law alone won't solve the staffing shortage

As important as the reform is, it does not create additional nurses. Expanded competencies and less bureaucracy make the profession more attractive and use existing skills better. But the underlying shortage remains: depending on the study, Germany faces a shortfall of several hundred thousand care workers by 2035.

For many facilities, a bundle of measures therefore stays decisive: strengthen training, retain professionals through good working conditions – and fill open positions specifically with qualified nurses from abroad. International recruitment is becoming ever more important precisely because domestic intake does not cover demand.

This is exactly where TalentSure comes in: as a platform that makes the journey of qualified international nurses to Germany transparent and easy to follow – from selecting suitable candidates and recognising their qualifications to on-site integration. The new legal framework and structured international recruitment work hand in hand: more attractive roles plus reliable sources of staff.

Conclusion: an important step – but only one building block

The new nursing law of 2026 is one of the most significant reforms in years. With expanded competencies, less bureaucracy and standardised assistant training, it noticeably upgrades the nursing profession and improves conditions for facilities.

On its own, however, it does not solve the staffing shortage. Facilities that use the new possibilities and combine them with a forward-looking staffing strategy – including recruiting international professionals – are best placed to safeguard care in the long term.