ABSTRACT
This chapter explores why experienced professionals need to care about initial training, the truth about interpreting that every course must cover, why a degree, on its own, will never be enough. Nursing trainer Ann Cummins gathered together the available evidence and concluded that the future supply of excellent nurses depends on a successful handover of new graduates from nursing schools to supportive supervision arrangements in the workplace. Individual interpreters, informal communities, and large associations all have their parts to play alongside universities if this goal is to be achieved and all stand to benefit. Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan fits this bill exactly, and has a reputation for being a skilled teacher and nurturing mentor. Informal groups are in a great position to arrange mentoring, since they can move quickly and share experience effectively. Critical thinking, group work, problem solving, and, yes, technical skills, like note-taking and conversation management, are all necessary starting points.
