{"id":12693,"date":"2023-06-30T10:38:47","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T08:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visualjournalism.de\/?p=12693"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:52:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T09:52:49","slug":"behind-the-scenes-of-the-care-system","status":"publish","type":"magazin","link":"https:\/\/visualjournalism.de\/en\/magazine\/final-projects\/behind-the-scenes-of-the-care-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the scenes of the care system"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n \n\n \n\n
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Behind the scenes of care. \"\"<\/strong> Patricia K\u00fchfuss documents the shortage of staff at German hospitals.<\/p>\n

\r\n Finn Winkler<\/a><\/span><\/span> Photos: Patricia K\u00fchfuss<\/span><\/div>\r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

At the beginning of her studies <\/strong>, the photographer lived with several nurses. They inspired the subject of her photo series, which has become more topical than ever due to the Corona pandemic. Patricia K\u00fchfu\u00df shows the everyday professional life of people who care for others at the limits of their resilience.Nursing is a highly complex profession that requires technical, medical and human expertise. It is difficult to represent this work visually, as care touches on people’s privacy and raises the question of where the boundaries of what can be shown are. Therefore, in the media, the profession is often reduced to the symbolic image of a bed-shifting nurse, and the performance of nursing work remains invisible.Before Patricia K\u00fchfuss photographed her story, she was warned about the difficulty of accessing care facilities. But she was not dissuaded from her idea:<\/p>\n\n \n \n

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The deciding factor was that I wanted to photograph a subject for my bachelor’s degree that was really close to my heart.<\/p>\n <\/blockquote>\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n Patricia K\u00fchfuss<\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

The nursing shortage also has a sexist layer, K\u00fchfuss said. <\/strong>For patients, help in everyday life is just as important in the end as help in life-threatening moments. “These things are often labeled as ‘care-work’ – historically, typically female tasks,” the photographer explains.Since completing her studies at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover, Patricia K\u00fchfuss has been working as a freelance photographer. At the Lumix Festival 2020, she received the HAZ Audience Award for the work “Nicht m\u00fcde werden” shown here. Her photographs are published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, GEO, National Geographic and ZEIT Magazine, among others.<\/p>\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 12, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Peter H. prepares<\/strong> a room for a patient returning from intensive care. 80 percent of German hospitals now report difficulties in finding nursing staff.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A patient is washed<\/strong> during a night shift. Actually, it should be a matter of course that the patients’ hygiene remains at a dignified level. But many nurses complain that they do not have enough time to care for patients adequately.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Intensive care nurse<\/strong> Jennifer G. assesses a patient’s situation\u2014it’s critical. Because there are not enough staff, many intensive care nurses have to work without supervision after just one month. In the past, training to become an intensive care nurse took a year.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 1, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A patient is feeling<\/strong> very unwell. A nurse takes care of him by wiping the sweat from his body.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 1, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Thorid G., documents<\/strong> the data of her patients during a night shift. Although she has already worked the last few nights, she once again has to fill in for a sick colleague.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 17, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A nurse prepares<\/strong> breakfast for a patient who can’t do it himself.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 1, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A nurse attempts<\/strong> to resuscitate a patient. Nurses usually spend the most time with a patient\u2014accordingly, lives literally depend on their attention and skill.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Jana S. takes<\/strong> a break during the night shift. The staff shortage is sometimes so great that colleagues even have to be called back from holiday.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 12, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A nurse prepares<\/strong> a ventilator for a patient.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Two nurses move<\/strong> a patient to check the status of his pressure ulcer dressing.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 12, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A nurse takes<\/strong> the data of a patient. She wears a glove while doing so, which poses a hygiene risk. Due to time pressure, nurses are often unable to comply with hygiene standards.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Jennifer G., Sussan M., and Jana S.<\/strong> (from left) discuss during a night shift.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 18, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Hannah M. is looking<\/strong> for the right medication. She is doing a voluntary social year here. Although interns, trainees, and volunteers are mainly supposed to learn and support, they are often used like fully trained nurses due to the nursing shortage. As a result, many of them feel overwhelmed and decide against a career in nursing. This makes the situation even worse.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 1, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A nurse tries<\/strong> to calm a patient suffering from dementia. Before that, he has called her four times. He thinks he has to leave the hospital.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 12, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Michael B. is caring<\/strong> for a patient during the night shift. He has been working as an intensive care nurse for 10 years and is one of the most experienced on his shift.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 10, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Two nurses check<\/strong> each other’s calculations for a patient’s medication late at night.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Hospitals can only bill<\/strong> for work that has been documented. Therefore, more and more work has to be spent on documentation instead of on the patients.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 1, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Two nurses<\/strong> move a patient to avoid sores.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n\n \n \n

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In a system in which every action is measured in terms of money, it is forgotten that good care requires expertise and, above all, time.<\/p>\n <\/blockquote>\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n Patricia K\u00fchfuss<\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

A nurse<\/strong> prepares medications for patients during a night shift.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n

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\n \"\"\n \n \u00a9 Patricia K\u00fchfuss, May 3, 2018<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n

Usually,<\/strong> it’s just a cotton curtain that separates patients in an intensive care unit. Every so often there are up to four beds in one room. Because 24-hour care is essential, it is never completely quiet in there. In emergencies, the surrounding patients hear everything.
\nUp to 20 percent of them develop post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n

It would drastically improve the situation to have only two beds in one room. But it would also be pricier.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n \n <\/figure>\n\n\n

\n patriciakuehfuss.com<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Related to this story<\/h2>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n The invisible people on the waiting list <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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Germany lags behind the rest of Europe on organ donation \u2013 we show those who can\u2019t wait any longer.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

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\r\n \u2018We want to give dying a place of the greatest possible security\u2019 <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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At Hospiz Luise in Hannover, carers accompany people on their final journey \u2013 and turn fear into a sense of safety.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"\"\r\n\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Body donation for medical school. <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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Julia Bellack’s Bachelor’s thesis is about future doctors in the dissection course.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"\"\r\n\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Recommended by the editors<\/h2>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\n Masculinity<\/span>\r\n

\r\n Thin on top <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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TikTok routines, rosemary oil, transplants: the market for hair-loss treatments is booming. Hair may be just hair in the end \u2013 but it’s never quite that simple.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"\"\r\n\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n From outlaw to spiritual healer <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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Alexander Golandsky was a criminal biker and cocaine dealer. Then he changed his life radically.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"\"\r\n\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n Masculinity can be deadly <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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Women attempt suicide more often \u2013 and yet 71.5 per cent of people who die by suicide in Germany are men. A search for answers.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"Blurred\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\n Ideals<\/span>\r\n

\r\n Behind the walls of the Rosicrucians <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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The spiritual community \u2018International School of the Golden Rosycross\u2019 is regarded as a sect. What ideals do its members pursue?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"\"\r\n\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n\r\n Ideals<\/span>\r\n

\r\n How my ideals led me into anorexia <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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Even at nursery our author didn\u2019t feel particularly sporty. She never thought she would ever become so ill.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"\"\r\n\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\r\n\r\n Work<\/span>\r\n

\r\n Wanted: travelling shepherd <\/h3>\r\n\r\n
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Travelling shepherds are slowly disappearing from the pastures. Why there are still good reasons not to let the profession die out.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n

\r\n \"Two\r\n <\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n <\/a>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\n\n\n
\n TO THE MAGAZINE HOMEPAGE<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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