Training bicultural leaders

Increasing numbers of hospitals now employ bicultural training programs to ease the school-to-work transition for new graduates. Nurses who conduct these programs must be specially trained to guide the new graduate in the process of becoming bicultural. Describing how one hospital sponsored a program that trained 24 nurses as bicultural leaders, the authors provide guidelines and insight to other potential sponsors. They offer specific information on planning, implementation (including direct and indirect costs), and evaluation. A follow-up article will focus on evaluation of the bicultural training program's effect on turnover and performance.