DBfK

What DBfK does

DBfK is Germany's largest independent professional association for nursing professionals, founded in 1903 by Agnes Karll and headquartered in Berlin. The association serves registered nurses, nursing students, and nurse assistants across Germany through a federal structure comprising one federal body (Bundesverband) and four regional associations (Nordwest in Hannover, Nordost in Berlin, Südwest in Stuttgart, and Südost in Munich) that collectively cover all sixteen German states. Members receive professional and legal counselling, legal protection and professional liability insurance, continuing education, and political representation; nursing students and assistants access tiered membership and event pricing. Internationally, DBfK is a founding member of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) — with founder Agnes Karll elected ICN President in 1909 — and a member of the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) and the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA).

The association's product surface is built around four pillars: (1) membership services delivered via the online "Mein DBfK" portal (portal.dbfk.mydorg.net) and regional offices; (2) the monthly "DBfK aktuell" newsletter and a recurring column in "Die Schwester | Der Pfleger" journal; (3) educational programming including Pflegetage regional congresses, Fachtagungen specialist conferences (e.g., the 2026 Pflegeberatung conference with approximately 250 attendees), PA Kongress, and Forum Junge Pflege for younger nurses; and (4) publications such as the ICN Code of Ethics brochure (EUR 2.00) and position papers. The underlying technology stack is conventional association infrastructure: a Weblication CMS website hosted on IONOS, the mydorg member portal, Google Analytics, Meta/Facebook Pixel, and Signal messaging groups for member networking. No proprietary AI/ML, custom platform, or differentiated technology IP is evident in the inputs.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues (annual, tiered by professional status), fee-for-service educational events priced with member/non-member differentials (e.g., PA Kongress Regensburg April 2027 at EUR 110/145; Pflegetag Schleswig-Holstein December 2026 at EUR 35/60), a publications shop, and donations channelled through the Agnes Karll Gesellschaft. The organization is a registered association (eingetragener Verein, VR 4671, Registergericht Frankfurt am Main), is not publicly traded, has no parent company, no external investors, and discloses no revenue figures. In June 2026, the Delegiertenversammlung approved the "Unser DBfK 2030" reform project, signalling a forward-looking structural reconfiguration.

Name

DBfK

Legal name

Deutscher Berufsverband für Pflegeberufe - DBfK Bundesverband e.V.

Website

https://dbfk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DBfK is Germany's largest independent professional nursing association, founded in 1903. Through a federal structure and four regional bodies, it provides membership, legal protection, insurance, continuing education, events, and political representation to professional nurses, students, and assistants nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from professional nurses, nursing students, and nurse assistants who join the association for professional representation, legal advice, and career support.
2. Educational Programs and Events: Revenue from seminars, workshops, congresses, and training courses offered to members and non-members across Germany. Event fees vary by membership status.
3. Publications Shop: Sale of publications including the ICN Code of Ethics brochure (2.00 EUR), posters, and other nursing professional materials.
4. Donations: Acceptance of donations through the Agnes Karll Gesellschaft for supporting association activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DBfK is a non-profit professional association that provides nurses with paid annual membership delivering legal counselling, legal protection insurance, professional liability insurance, continuing education (seminars, workshops, congresses), political representation, and a monthly newsletter/magazine (DBfK aktuell). The association generates supplementary revenue from event fees at regional congresses (Pflegetage, DBfK-Fachtagung Pflegeberatung, Forum Junge Pflege), a publications shop (including the ICN Code of Ethics), and donations through the Agnes Karll Gesellschaft.

Product overview

DBfK (Deutscher Berufsverband für Pflegeberufe) is Germany's largest independent professional nursing association, founded in 1903 by Agnes Karll. The organization operates a federal structure with one federal and four regional associations (Nordwest, Nordost, Südwest, Südost). Its core offerings include professional membership with legal counselling and insurance, the DBfK aktuell monthly newsletter/magazine, educational programs through seminars and congresses, and the Mein DBfK member portal. The association publishes the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses and maintains a network of international nursing organizations including ICN membership. Regional branches operate education and training institutes offering specialized conferences like Pflegetage, Forum Junge Pflege, and DBfK-Fachtagung Pflegeberatung. The organization advocates for nursing profession interests in political and governmental bodies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mitgliedschaft (Professional Membership) Paid annual membership providing nurses with individual professional and legal counselling, legal protection insurance, professional liability insurance, continuing education programmes, monthly DBfK aktuell newsletter, political representation in health-care policy, and participation in association governance. Available to professional nurses, nursing students, and nurse assistants via the website and regional offices.
• Fort- und Weiterbildung (Continuing Education and Training) Seminars, post-basic courses, workshops, and congresses for professional development of nurses. Regional branches operate education and training institutes offering specialized programs across Germany. Pricing differs for members versus non-members, and programs earn continuing-education points (e.g., for Berufspädagogische Fortbildung).
• DBfK aktuell (Monthly Newsletter and Members' Magazine) Monthly newsletter and magazine covering news, political developments, events, international cooperation, and organizational updates for DBfK members. Also published as a column in 'Die Schwester | Der Pfleger' journal. A separate subscription path is available for non-members.
• ICN-Ethikkodex für Pflegende (ICN Code of Ethics Publication) The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses, available as a downloadable PDF and purchasable booklet in A5 format for professional nursing ethics guidance. Sold via the DBfK online shop at 2.00 EUR including VAT, plus shipping.
• Pflegetage (Regional Nursing Days) Regional congresses and educational events including Pflegetag Niedersachsen, Pflegetag Nordrhein-Westfalen, Pflegetag Schleswig-Holstein, and others. Fee-based events offering professional education and networking for nurses, with member and non-member pricing tiers and continuing-education points.
• DBfK-Fachtagung Pflegeberatung (Specialist Conference on Nursing Consultation) Specialist conference for freelance nursing consultants, care support point staff, family care employees, hospital discharge management, and nursing professionals. Member rate 79.00 EUR; non-member rate 99.00 EUR; earns 6 continuing-education points.
• Forum Junge Pflege (Young Nurses Forum) Annual event held at the Berlin federal headquarters for young nursing professionals to learn about professional politics, gain new impulses, and contribute ideas. Includes workshops on advocacy topics relevant to early-career nurses.
• Beratung (Professional Counselling Services) Counselling services covering professional and legal matters, retirement and pension questions, entrepreneurship support for nurse-led businesses, and guidance on working abroad. Delivered to DBfK members through regional offices and online channels.
• Versicherungen (Insurance Services for Members) Member-benefit insurance coverage including legal protection insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung) and professional liability insurance (Berufshaftpflichtversicherung) for nurses, arranged through DBfK's negotiated group terms.
• Positionspapiere und Stellungnahmen (Position Papers and Statements) Official policy position papers and statements addressing nursing policy topics including Advanced Practice Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Pflegekammer (nursing chamber), and sustainability, published for advocacy and external stakeholder engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• DBfK represents Germany in ICN and is member of European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• International Council of Nurses (ICN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1899DBfK is the ICN member representing Germany and was a founding member when ICN was established. Agnes Karll, founder of DBfK, was elected ICN President in 1909. DBfK participates in ICN congresses and maintains international nursing standards through this partnership.
• European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBfK is a member of EFN, representing German nursing interests at the European level and collaborating on EU nursing policy issues.
• European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBfK supports EFNNMA as part of its European nursing network engagement.
• ENSA (European Nursing Students Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBfK supports ENSA as part of its commitment to nursing education and the next generation of nurses.
• ver.di (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBfK co-organized the 'Pflege ist kein Sparschwein' protest action with ver.di on June 10, 2026 in Hannover, demonstrating joint advocacy for nursing profession interests.
• Erasmus+majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBfK Nordwest participated in an Erasmus+ funded educational trip to Rome in June 2026, enabling members to learn about Advanced Nursing Practice in Italy.
• Hauptstadtkongress Medizin und GesundheitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBfK participated in an international session at the Hauptstadtkongress in Berlin discussing the economic importance of professional nursing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Norwegian Nurses Organisation (NSF): Norway's national nurses' trade union and professional association, combining labor representation with professional development and policy advocacy. Comparable in scope to DBfK but serving the Norwegian nursing workforce.
• The Swedish Association of Health Professionals (Vårdförbundet): Swedish trade union and professional association for nurses, midwives, biomedical scientists and radiographers. Combines collective bargaining with professional development — a close Nordic analog to DBfK in scale and scope.

Direct peers

• Royal College of Nursing: The UK's largest professional nursing trade union and membership association, providing advocacy, legal services, education, publications, and insurance to nurses. Operates an almost identical member-service model to DBfK at greater scale.
• Deutscher Pflegerat (DPR): The umbrella council for German nursing professional and care associations, coordinating nursing policy in Germany alongside DBfK. Directly competes for influence in shaping nursing legislation and standards within Germany.
• Canadian Nurses Association: Canada's national professional association of nurses, providing advocacy, certification, and policy leadership. Operates a near-identical national-membership model with federal/regional coordination, making it a close structural peer.
• American Nurses Association: The leading US professional association representing the interests of America's 4+ million registered nurses, with advocacy, credentialing, publications, and continuing education. Closest functional analog to DBfK in the US healthcare market.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association): The professional self-governing body for Germany's physicians, structured as a federal association of 17 state chambers. Operates an analogous federal-chamber model with mandatory membership, representing the physician analog of what DBfK advocates for nurses.
• ver.di (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft): Germany's largest services trade union with significant nurse membership, dominating healthcare collective bargaining. While broader in scope than DBfK, it competes directly for nurse members and the labor representation mandate that anchors DBfK's value proposition.

Emerging players

• Pflegekammer Rheinland-Pfalz: The mandatory state nursing chamber for Rhineland-Palatinate, one of the first Pflegekammern established in Germany. Represents the emerging model of mandatory nursing self-governance that could substantially erode DBfK's voluntary-membership franchise if expanded nationally.

Others

• European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN): The pan-European federation of national nursing associations of which DBfK is a member. Operates upstream of DBfK as an EU-level advocacy and policy coordination body, setting the European policy agenda that DBfK then implements in Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DBfK_Pflege
• Facebookfacebook.com/dbfk.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dbfk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DBfK