Background: In Germany, Home Mechanical Ventilation (HMV) becomes more important, but there is only little knowledge about the situation of family caregivers involved in this form of care. Aim: To gain insights into the situation of family caregivers involved in HMV and to understand and reflect upon their roles and functions. Method: As part of a multi-part qualitative study problem-centered interviews with family caregivers (N = 15) of patients in HMV have been conducted and analysed thematically following principles used in Grounded Theory. Results: Family caregivers provide a broad spectrum of health care services in HMV with varying width and demand (i. e. housekeeping, organisation, nursing and therapeutic tasks). The division of tasks and responsibilities between nurses and family caregivers seems to be unclear in many cases and their limits of expertise is not reflected carefully. Family caregivers wish to be supported by nurses in their competency development process, but offers (if there are some) are often not really helpful from their point of view. Conclusions: Family caregivers engaged in HMV should be valued as partners with special expertise and not as petitioner or just burdened people. A needs-based support of family caregivers should therefore focus on partnership and targeted promotion of their special expertise.

In German speaking Europe, concepts on combining family care and employment are widely lacking. However, due to increased participation of women in the labour market, women have less time to engage in traditional family care giving. For nurses, working caregivers are challenging because they are even more in need of integrated care models than non-caregivers. In the literature analysis, the current situation on "work & care" and its relevance for nursing in German-speaking countries is discussed. After presenting the relevance and the chosen research method, identified prevalence data are listed. Focusing on risks and resources resulting from combining employment and care, strategies and services used by companies are analysed. Based on this analysis, concepts will be presented which enable nurses to become involved in solutions for family caregivers and the development of innovative nursing services.

Zusammenfassung Es wurden Pflegestudiengänge gemäß Pflegeberufegesetz an Mitgliedshochschulen der Bundesdekanekonferenz Pflegewissenschaft Anfang 2021 zu ihren Strukturen befragt. Zusammenfassend gaben die 18 teilnehmenden Studiengänge Einschränkungen in der Auslastung, praktischen Studienphase und Personalbesetzung an. Eine akademische Pflegeausbildung bedarf gesetzlicher Rahmenbedingungen, die eine auskömmliche Finanzierung und ein professionelles Weiterentwickeln des Berufsbildes ermöglichen.