German Society for Specialist Nursing and Functional Services

The German Society for Specialist Nursing and Functional Services (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fachkrankenpflege und Funktionsdienste e.V., DGF) is a German professional association representing nurses in specialist and functional service roles. Founded on 26 October 1974 in Mainz by Therese Valerius, who became its founding and later honorary chairwoman, the DGF has been a registered non-profit association since early 1975. Its core mission is the promotion of nursing education, training and continuing professional development, with a focus on intensive care, anesthesia, operating room (OR) and emergency nursing. The association is represented in every German federal state and serves as a national advocacy body for specialist nursing. The DGF is active in professional policy, working with ministries, advisory boards and committees to improve working conditions, continuing education, collective pay classification and staffing levels in specialist nursing. Nationally, it is organized within the German Nursing Council (Deutscher Pflegerat e.V., DPR). Internationally, it is a member of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) and the European Federation of Critical Care Nursing Associations (EfCCNa). It also offers an additional membership in the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), with which it cooperates. The association's history is closely tied to the development of specialist training for intensive care and anesthesia nurses. In the early 1960s, such training already existed in Scandinavian countries, the United States and Switzerland. In Germany, the first anesthesia courses for nurses were held at clinics in Munich and Freiburg and at the Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz. Therese Valerius, a senior nurse at the University Hospital Mainz, had gathered information about such courses abroad and, together with anesthesia professors Miklós Halmágyi and Hans Nolte, began the first systematic two-year specialist training in Mainz in 1964. The first seven graduates took their final examinations there in 1966. In 1972 she opened a training course at the same hospital under the title "Anesthesia and Intensive Care Therapy", corresponding to the recommendations of the German Society for Anesthesia and Resuscitation (DGAW) at the time. As an interest group independent of medical associations and trade unions, with the goal of establishing nationwide specialist training, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fachkrankenpflege was founded in 1974. In the late 1990s it was significantly involved in revising the DKG recommendation for the further training of nurses in intensive care. In 2004 the association's name was expanded to include "Funktionsdienste" (functional services), broadening its representational claim. Today it covers specialist nursing in other areas such as oncology, OR nursing and, though not primarily, psychiatric nursing. The DGF publishes statements on regulatory decisions, such as its 2026 statement on the G-BA resolution regarding graded emergency structures in hospitals, and holds annual membership meetings. It initially subscribed members to the journal Die Schwester, Der Pfleger and published a quarterly bulletin that later appeared in booklet form and was merged into the journal intensiv in 2001.

The founding history of the DGF is closely linked to the development of specialist training for intensive care and anesthesia nurses. As intensive care medicine and anesthesiology advanced, physicians involved in these fields called for targeted training for nurses. Such courses already existed in the early 1960s in Scandinavian countries, the United States and Switzerland. In Germany, the first anesthesia courses for nurses were conducted at clinics in Munich and Freiburg and at the Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz. Therese Valerius, a senior nurse at the University Hospital Mainz, had gathered information about such courses abroad and, together with anesthesia professors Miklós Halmágyi and Hans Nolte, began the first systematic two-year specialist training in Mainz in 1964. In 1966 the first seven graduates took their final examinations there. In 1972 she opened a training course at the same hospital under the title "Anesthesia and Intensive Care Therapy", corresponding to the recommendations of the German Society for Anesthesia and Resuscitation (DGAW) at the time. As an interest group independent of medical associations and trade unions, with the goal of establishing nationwide specialist training, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fachkrankenpflege was founded on 26 October 1974 in Mainz by Therese Valerius, who became its founding and later honorary chairwoman. Since early 1975 it has been a registered non-profit association. In the late 1990s the DGF was significantly involved in revising the DKG recommendation for the further training of nurses in intensive care. In 2004 the association's name was expanded to include "Funktionsdienste" (functional services), broadening its representational claim. Today it covers specialist nursing in other areas such as oncology, OR nursing and, though not primarily, psychiatric nursing. The DGF is active in professional policy with ministries and specialist committees and makes demands regarding the improvement of working and training conditions, collective pay classification and staffing levels in specialist nursing. Nationally, it is organized within the German Nursing Council (Deutscher Pflegerat e.V., DPR). Internationally, it is a member of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) and the European Federation of Critical Care Nursing Associations (EfCCNa). It also offers an additional membership in the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), with which it cooperates. The association is represented in every German federal state. For its members, the association initially subscribed to the journal Die Schwester, Der Pfleger and published a quarterly bulletin that later appeared in booklet form and was merged into the journal intensiv in 2001. The DGF continues to publish professional statements, such as its 2026 statement on the G-BA resolution regarding graded emergency structures in hospitals, and holds annual membership meetings.

• 2026

  DGF publishes a professional statement on the G-BA resolution regarding graded emergency structures in hospitals.

• 2004

  Association name expanded to include "Funktionsdienste" (functional services), broadening its representational claim.

• 2001

  The association's quarterly bulletin, later published in booklet form, is merged into the journal intensiv.

• 1990

  Late 1990s: significantly involved in revising the DKG recommendation for further training of nurses in intensive care.

• 1975

  Becomes a registered non-profit association.

• 1974

  Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fachkrankenpflege founded on 26 October in Mainz by Therese Valerius.

• 1972

  Valerius opens a training course "Anesthesia and Intensive Care Therapy" at the University Hospital Mainz, corresponding to DGAW recommendations.

• 1966

  The first seven graduates complete their final examinations in Mainz.

• 1964

  Therese Valerius, with professors Miklós Halmágyi and Hans Nolte, begins the first systematic two-year specialist training for anesthesia nurses in Mainz.

National professional association and advocacy body for specialist nursing and functional services in Germany, independent of medical associations and trade unions.

• Professional representation and advocacy

  Representation of specialist nursing and functional services in professional and health policy bodies, advisory boards and committees.

• Continuing education and training promotion

  Core competence: promotion of nursing education, training and continuing professional development.

• Membership services

  Membership for nurses in specialist fields, including optional additional membership in DIVI.

• Professional statements and publications

  Statements on regulatory decisions and contributions to nursing journals.

1. 1Startseite - DGFdgf-online.de
2. 2Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fachkrankenpflege und Funktionsdienstede.wikipedia.org
3. 3German Society for Specialist Nursing and Functional Serviceswikidata.org