Scotsman Obituaries: Ruth Schroeck, German Professor of Nursing Science who taught in Edinburgh and retired to capital​

Dr Ruth Schroeck, Professor of Nursing Science. Born: 7 July 1931 in Berlin. Died: 30 December 2023 in Portobello, aged 92

After a high-flying career Ruth Schroeck settled in Portobello (Picture: University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany)

Ruth AK Schroeck was a German nurse, a specialist psychiatric nurse as well as an outstanding nursing scientist. She was the first professor of nursing and social science in the Federal Republic of Germany to teach at the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrueck from 1987 onwards and moved to the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Witten/Herdecke after her retirement.

Ruth studied philosophy, sports and biology at the Free University of Berlin. She was educated as a general nurse and psychiatric nurse in Bristol followed by a degree in nursing pedagogy in Edinburgh.

After gaining her Master of Arts in 1981, she completed her Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Professor Annie Altschul at the Department of Nursing Studies, University of Edinburgh.

This was followed by teaching and research activities at Edinburgh and Abertay-Dundee universities, and afterwards as a Professor of Nursing and Head of the Department of Health & Nursing at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh.

In 1987, Ruth Schroeck was appointed the first Professor of Nursing and Social Sciences in Germany at the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrueck.

In the early 1990s, in collaboration with other scientists, she succeeded in creating two diploma programmes in nursing science and nursing management, and in establishing an international symposium on nursing science, which was organised every two years in cooperation with the University of Osnabrück and met with great response throughout the German-speaking world.

She was awarded emeritus status in 1996. From 1997 onwards she set up and directed the first postgraduate nursing programme on a doctoral level at the University of Witten/Herdecke. She retired from this position in 2005 and moved back to Edinburgh.

Ruth played an important role in the academisation of nursing in Germany. She was particularly interested in questions of nursing theory and the history of nursing. She was one of the founding members of the German Society of Nursing Science and was involved in the European Network for Doctoral Nursing Programmes.

She was a member of numerous committees and commissions: during her time as a professor of nursing science in Germany, she also contributed significantly to the important publications “Nursing needs Elites” and “Nursing Science” by the Robert Bosch Foundation in Stuttgart.

Ruth received numerous honours and awards from Germany and abroad including an Honorary doctorate (Doctor of Letters) from the University of Glamorgan; Honorary doctorate (Doctor of Science in Social Science) of the University of Edinburgh; and Winner of the Nursing Prize of the German Nursing Council

The award of the Order of Merit 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2017 at the age of 86 was undoubtedly not only of extraordinary significance for the honouree's life's work, but also for the entire German-speaking nursing profession.

Ruth was an honorary member of the Nursing Studies Association at the University of Edinburgh, of the German Nursing Association, and of the German Society of Nursing Science.

In June 2019 a symposium was held in Berlin to mark the 30th anniversary of the German Society of Nursing Science. Ruth travelled from Scotland to Germany to give the keynote at the symposium in her hometown.

She died in Portobello, Edinburgh, on 30 December 2023.

​

Obituaries

If you would like to submit an obituary (800-1000 words preferred, with jpeg image), or have a suggestion for a subject, contact [email protected]