Bethel - Training at Bethel: accompanying and supporting people

"Would you like to take salmon with you again?" asks Jordan Detering. "Definitely," replies Shiwa Roudsari. "It was very tasty last time," she enthuses, looking searchingly in the freezer shelf. The resident of a Bethel facility is accompanied by Jordan Detering once a week when she goes shopping. He is a curative education nurse in training.

"Curative care - that's an unwieldy word," says Jordan Detering. "I'm supposed to heal, educate and care for someone. That sounds quite a lot at first." Many people don't know what it actually entails. The 21-year-old was also unaware of the profession until he decided to do a voluntary social year at Bethel in 2020. He is now in his second year of training at Haus Leontes. He also completed his Bethel year there.

Jordan Detering is at the Bethel facility three times a week, looking after the residents. The other two days he has lessons at the Bethel vocational college. There he is prepared for the task of holistic life support. He learns to recognise and represent the interests of people with disabilities, to identify support needs and to plan, document and implement support processes. "I also learn to continuously reflect on myself and my behaviour, for example when dealing with stress and challenges," he explains. Jordan Detering particularly likes the fact that he has a wide range of opportunities after completing his training: "I can work in inpatient forms of accommodation, semi-stationary and day-structuring areas as well as outpatient services and leisure activities," says the prospective curative education nurse.

The Bielefeld native actually had a completely different plan after leaving school. Travelling, getting to know other cultures. Simply travelling for a while. Corona threw a spanner in the works. And at the same time opened the door to his current dream job. "I didn't want to sit at home all day. Studying would have meant exactly that during the pandemic," says Jordan Detering. He wanted to do something social, work with people - Bethel immediately came to mind. And he is glad he made this decision: "There is a special sense of solidarity here. You can feel the mutual support." He can still imagine studying. "I'm interested in the bachelor's degree in mental health/psychiatric nursing at the Deacons' University of Applied Sciences in Bethel," he says. Perhaps he will apply for it after his training. "It's practical that you have so many options here."

Text: Elena Sandbothe | Photos: Christian Weische, Thomas Richter