Category: Allied Healthcare Professionals
Objective: To describe the development of the profession Parkinson Nurse in Germany resulting from a 3-year research process.
Background: The profession of specialized Parkinson Nurses is gaining increasing attention in the research literature when it comes to delivering person-centered Parkinson´s care [1]. Parkinson Nurses are regarded as gatekeepers of integrated care. However, this profession does not exist in many countries in Europe, including Germany [2].
Method: This contribution describes research results from a 3-year research process. Based on the research findings from a Cross-European healthcare project, evidence was generated in qualitative (Focus-group study, qualitative online survey, document analysis, patient interviews) and quantitative studies (systematic review with meta-analysis) that have contributed to the professionalization of Parkinson Nurses in Germany [3-6].
Results: The research outcomes of this process have resulted in the definition of competencies and roles that are unique to a Parkinson Nurse. The results have contributed to a synchronization and further development of existing training opportunities, as well as a standardization of the understanding of the role of a Parkinson Nurse in Germany [6].
Conclusion: The professionalization of special care provider roles is an important success factor for the establishment of person-centered care models in healthcare systems. Building on the example of the Parkinson’s nurse in Germany, the results of this research process show how systematically generated evidence can contribute to the further development of healthcare systems through the establishment of clear competence profiles and role assignments.
Figure 1
References: 1. van Munster, M., Stümpel, J., Thieken, F., Ratajczak, F., Rascol, O., Fabbri, M., … & Pedrosa, D. J. (2022). The role of Parkinson nurses for personalizing Care in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, 12(6), 1807-1831. doi: 10.3233/JPD-223215.
2. Mai, T. (2018). Status and development of the role as Parkinson nurse in Germany-an online survey. Pflege, 31(4), 181-189. doi: 10.1024/1012-5302/a000617
3. van Munster, M., Stümpel, J., Thieken, F., J. Pedrosa, D., Antonini, A., Côté, D., … & Mestre, T. A. (2021). Moving towards integrated and personalized care in Parkinson’s disease: A framework proposal for training Parkinson nurses. Journal of personalized medicine, 11(7), 623. doi: 10.3390/jpm11070623.
4. van Munster, M., Stümpel, J., Clemens, T., Czabanowska, K., Pedrosa, D. J., Mestre, T. A., & iCare-Pd Consortium. (2022). Telemedicine as an untapped opportunity for Parkinson’s nurses training in personalized care approaches. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12(7), 1057. doi: 10.3390/jpm12071057.
5. van Munster, M., Czabanowska, K., Clemens, T., Pedrosa, D. J., Mestre, T. A. & Stümpel, J. (forthcoming). Priorities in healthcare utilization in Parkinson´s disease: the perspective of Parkinson Nurses. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances.
6. Fründt, O., Kirchner, C., van Munster, M., Hanff, A. M. R., Mai, T., Wellach, I., … & Warnecke, T. (2023). Improve education and training for Parkinson’s care (German). Pflegezeitschrift, 76(6), 52-55. doi: 10.1007/s41906-023-2068-8.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
M. van Munster, J. Stümpel, O. Fründt, A. Becker, T. Warnecke, C. Eggers, T. Mestre, T. Clemens, K. Czabanowska. Development of a National Initiative for the Professionalization of Parkinson Nurses – Results from Germany [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2024; 39 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/development-of-a-national-initiative-for-the-professionalization-of-parkinson-nurses-results-from-germany/. Accessed November 8, 2026.« Back to 2024 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/development-of-a-national-initiative-for-the-professionalization-of-parkinson-nurses-results-from-germany/