The candidate card
Setting
Paediatric ward
Candidate
You are a nurse on a children's ward. Mia Mensah, aged 7 months, was admitted last night with bronchiolitis. She needs low-flow oxygen through nasal prongs because her oxygen saturation remains persistently at 88–89% in room air, and she is taking less than half her usual bottle feeds. The medical team has suggested a nasogastric tube for feeding. Her father, Mr Ryan Mensah, has just arrived and is asking why she has not been given antibiotics and when he can take her home.
Task (interlocutor: parent)
- Find out what Mr Mensah understands about Mia's illness and what he is expecting
- Explain bronchiolitis (common viral chest infection in babies, usually worst on days 2–3 of breathing difficulty, improves over 7–10 days)
- Explain why antibiotics will not help and what the treatment is (oxygen, fluids or feeding support, monitoring, superficial nasal suction only if secretions interfere with feeding or breathing)
- Explain the nasogastric tube and the criteria for going home (stable breathing and oxygen levels in room air, feeding enough)
- Respond to his concerns and discuss how he can be involved in Mia's care
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
How to approach this card
- Start by asking what he has been told and what he expected, because his questions about antibiotics and going home may reflect a particular worry about Mia. Listen first. This tells you where to pitch the explanation.
- Explain bronchiolitis in short, plain steps using the card's timeline: usually worst on days 2 and 3 of breathing difficulty, then improving over 7 to 10 days. This helps him see that needing support now is not unexpected.
- Link antibiotics to the cause: a viral infection, so they would not help. Then give what does help, naming oxygen, fluids or feeding support and monitoring. Mention nasal suction only as superficial and only if secretions interfere with feeding or breathing.
- Introduce the nasogastric tube as support because she is taking less than half her usual feeds, not as a setback. Give the discharge criteria clearly: stable breathing and oxygen levels in room air, and feeding enough. Avoid promising a date.
- Invite his involvement, such as offering feeds, comforting her and telling staff what he notices. Acknowledge that he is worried and wants her home. Close by summarising the plan and asking what questions remain.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- It is hard seeing your baby on oxygen. Tell me what is worrying you most.
- Bronchiolitis is caused by a virus, and antibiotics only work on bacteria.
- The feeding tube gives her milk while she is too tired to drink enough.
- Would you like to help with her feeds and cuddles while she is here?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| bronchiolitis | a common virus infection of the small breathing tubes in babies |
| nasogastric tube | a thin soft tube through the nose into the stomach to give milk |
| oxygen saturation | a reading showing how much oxygen is in her blood |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Nursing role-play cards
- Discharge after a heart attack: medicines and recovery Cardiology ward
- Postnatal home visit: a mother who is not coping Patient's home (child and family health nursing visit)
- Aged care: son unhappy about his father's modified diet after a stroke Residential aged care facility
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Nursing.
Questions about this role-play
How do I answer if he asks exactly when she can go home?
Say honestly that it depends on her breathing and oxygen levels without extra oxygen and on her feeding enough, and that you cannot give a date yet. Explain how the team will keep checking so he knows what progress looks like.
What if he disagrees with the feeding tube?
Find out what worries him, such as discomfort or what it means for her illness. Explain it is being suggested by the medical team because she is taking less than half her usual bottle feeds. Offer to arrange a conversation with the doctor.
How should I handle his anger about no antibiotics?
Acknowledge that he wants something to be done, then reframe: her treatment is active, with oxygen, feeding support and monitoring. Avoid sounding dismissive. Explain that antibiotics target bacteria while this is a viral illness, so they would not help.
Sources
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