Professional nursing requires a highly sophisticated set of communication skills. Every day, nurses must effectively communicate with people of differing religions, ages, sexes and cultures. To deliver the most appropriate and effective medical treatment to such a broad spectrum of people, nurses must have an understanding of the way different cultures interact. Framed as a discussion forum, this programme offers a starting point for training in transcultural nursing. We define culture and multiculturalism in Australia, and discuss the aspects of transcultural nursing, the dangers of cultural conflict, and effective multicultural communication methods.