Sharing what works: adaptation programmes for overseas recruits

Many Trusts are considering overseas recruitment to cope with the current shortage of qualified nurses in the UK. The need to plan for and manage the socio-cultural process can divert attention from issues of professional adaptation. This article considers some of the legal, practical and theoretical guidance used by one Trust in developing its own adaptation programme for nurses recruited from overseas. Given the lack of detailed guidance or research available to identify factors which influence the success of adaptation programmes, learning theories were used to work out a set of guiding principles which were thought suitable for the particular challenges that overseas nurses face in learning to adapt their professional skills to a new environment.