Michael Isfort

Professor Michael Isfort serves as Vice President for Research and Transfer at Catholic University of Applied Sciences NRW since February 2024, while maintaining his position as Professor of Nursing Science and Care Research in the Department of Healthcare at the Cologne campus, a role he has held since September 2009. He also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Institute for Applied Nursing Research since 2013, an organization where he previously worked as Deputy Managing Director (2007-2009) and Scientific Staff Member (2000-2006).

Prof. Isfort's research focuses on critical areas of nursing science and healthcare policy, including nursing workforce development, care infrastructure planning, quality improvement in nursing practice, dementia care, and the academicization of nursing professions. His work bridges academic research with practical healthcare delivery through numerous commissioned studies for German federal and state ministries.

His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to nursing science, with recent work examining nursing workforce monitoring systems, the academicization of nursing professions, communication in nursing practice, and strategies for improving nurse retention. His 'Pflege-Thermometer' series represents one of Germany's most comprehensive longitudinal studies of nursing working conditions.

• Deutscher Pflegepreis 2017 (German Nursing Award)
• Preis des Deutschen Pflegerats (Award of the German Nursing Council)

Prof. Isfort has secured and led numerous research grants from German ministries and organizations, including the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Equality of Lower Saxony, Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family of Saarland, and the Bavarian Association of Nurses. His work on nursing workforce monitoring in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg has directly influenced regional healthcare planning.

As Deputy Chairman of the German Institute for Applied Nursing Research, Prof. Isfort oversees one of Germany's leading nursing research organizations, which conducts applied research to improve nursing practice and healthcare delivery. His leadership in this role has positioned the institute as a key partner for government agencies seeking evidence-based solutions to nursing and healthcare challenges.