‘Heldin’: A successful film evening exploring the care situation in Lusatia

The film *Heldin* provided a poignant insight into the day-to-day working life of a nurse who, whilst on a late shift in a fully occupied and understaffed hospital ward, is constantly working at the limits of her capacity and ultimately makes a mistake with serious consequences. 

In the discussion that followed, Dr Jana Werner, a research fellow in the Department of Educational Sciences and Vocational Education in Health Professions at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, placed the film’s portrayal within the regional context. She praised the film for its high degree of realism and addressed questions and comments from the audience regarding the state of healthcare provision in Lusatia and the forthcoming care reform. Among the guests were also nursing students from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, who were able to engage with the current developments and prospects within their professional field that evening.

A lively discussion ensued during the talk, in which a representative from the Lausitz Citizens’ Region and the Director of Nursing at the Elbe-Elster Hospital also took part. Among other things, the focus was on the question of what measures are already being taken to improve the situation in the care sector and to strengthen regional healthcare provision in the long term.

Dr Werner sees great opportunities, in particular, in the expansion of the Lausitz – Carl Thiem Medical University (MUL-CT) and in new degree programmes. In this context, the planned Master’s programme for academically qualified nursing professionals is also significant; it is intended to build on the Bachelor’s programme in Nursing Science at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and will in future offer three specialisations: advanced nursing practice, emergency care and community health nursing. Community health nurses, in particular, could play a key role in the further development of regional healthcare by advising local people on health and care issues, strengthening prevention and identifying gaps in care at an early stage.

In conclusion, Dr Werner made an impassioned appeal to nursing staff: they must remain visible and confidently bring their concerns into the social and political debate. At the same time, she pointed out that the care sector remains predominantly female and is therefore also confronted with social inequalities and a frequently inadequate recognition of care work. In doing so, the speaker also drew a connection to the Year of Science 2026, ‘Medicine of the Future’, during which the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space will be devoting particular attention to women’s health.

The Westlausitz | Finsterwalde branch would like to thank all guests and contributors for a successful evening and the open exchange of views.