The candidate card
Setting
Home visit (community nursing)
Candidate
You are a community nurse. Mr Luke Islington, aged 78, was discharged from hospital four days ago with an indwelling urinary catheter after an episode of acute urinary retention. His discharge summary states that he was started on an alpha blocker, a tablet to relax the prostate, to help the trial without the catheter planned at his urology appointment in two weeks. You are visiting to check how he is managing and to teach him catheter and drainage bag care.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out how Mr Islington is managing with the catheter at home (daily routine, drinking, any problems)
- Explain why the catheter needs to stay in until his urology appointment
- Explain how to look after the catheter and drainage bags, and which warning signs need urgent help
- Reassure him about his concerns and persuade him not to remove the catheter himself
- Agree a plan for getting back to his usual activities and arrange follow-up
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
- Ask about his day in concrete terms: how he sleeps, what he drinks, how the bag is managed. Embarrassment often hides problems, so ask in a matter-of-fact tone and allow him to talk about what he finds hardest.
- Explain why it stays in until the urology appointment in two weeks: the retention needed treatment, he has started a tablet to relax the prostate, and the trial without the catheter is planned for that appointment.
- Teach practical care and have him demonstrate each step, including the drainage bags. Give the urgent warning signs as a complete list from your local catheter guidance and his discharge information, not a few from memory.
- Respond to his concern with empathy before persuading. Find out what makes him want it out, such as embarrassment or discomfort, and say that taking it out himself could injure him and may bring the retention back.
- Agree what he wants to get back to, such as going out or seeing family, and how to manage it with the catheter. Confirm who he calls with problems, and arrange the next visit before leaving.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Many men find this embarrassing, and it is fine to talk about it with me.
- What bothers you most about having it in?
- I would like you to show me how you empty and change the bag.
- Let us think about what you would like to get back to doing.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| indwelling urinary catheter | A thin tube that stays in your bladder and drains urine into a bag. |
| acute urinary retention | Suddenly being unable to pass urine, even though the bladder is full. |
| alpha blocker | A tablet that relaxes the prostate so urine can pass more easily. |
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
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- Aged care: resident refusing to use his walking frame Aged care facility
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Nursing.
Questions about this role-play
What if he says he will take it out himself?
Do not argue. Ask what is driving it, then explain the risks clearly: he could hurt himself and the retention may recur. Tell him what to do if he is uncomfortable, and who to call, so he has an alternative.
How do I teach without being patronising?
Ask what he already knows, show each step once, and then let him do it while you watch. Praise what he gets right. Treat it as a skill he is learning, which also helps with his embarrassment.
Which warning signs should I give?
Give the full list from your local catheter guidance and his discharge information, and leave him a written copy. A partial list from memory risks missing a sign. Check he can tell you when he would ring for urgent help.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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