OET Nursing role-play: Pelvic floor exercise support: agree private practical follow-through

The candidate card

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 with one concrete example of how leakage affects his day, then ask what he already understands about exercises. This makes the conversation relevant before exploring what has prevented him from arranging the teaching his GP recommended.
• Address his belief about getting older before discussing treatment benefits; otherwise, specialist teaching may seem unnecessary. Explain that leakage is not inevitable with ageing, then describe strengthening the muscles involved in bladder control, using may help rather than promising results.
• Ask permission to discuss anything he finds embarrassing, without assuming why he feels uncomfortable. Introduce individual teaching as an available option after hearing his concerns; the usual trap is offering reassurance before understanding what privacy means to him.
• Move from discussing privacy to checking whether the proposed referral feels workable. Ask which contact arrangements suit him and record his preferences accurately; do not treat agreement that exercises sound helpful as acceptance of a specialist appointment.
• Close by distinguishing what is agreed from what still needs arranging, including nursing follow-up. If time is short, prioritise a workable next step and ask him to explain it in his own words, rather than adding more general information.

Model route: what a strong candidate might say

Example lines in a workable order for about 5 minutes: opening, key questions, the patient's concern, explaining, then the close. Use them to plan, not to memorise: the patient's replies are not scripted here, and your next line should follow what they actually say.

1. Opening

• “Hello Mr Liyanage, I'm a nurse in the continence clinic. Thank you for coming; I'd like to understand how things are for you. Is that all right?”
• “Could you tell me about the urine leaks you've been having, in your own words?”

2. Key questions

• “How do the leaks affect your day-to-day life, for example when you cough or lift?”
• “What have you heard or understood about pelvic floor exercises?”
• “Your GP suggested specialist teaching. What has made it hard to arrange so far?”
• “Is there anything about the leaks that worries you or that you find hard to talk about?”

3. Handling the patient's concern

Likely concern: Likely to feel the leaks are just ageing, and may feel embarrassed or want privacy.

• “Many people feel awkward about this, and there's no need to apologise. Would it help to hear how individual teaching works, so you can decide what feels comfortable?”
• “Thank you for being honest about what has put you off. We can plan around your privacy, so please tell me what would make this easier.”

4. Explaining

• “Leaking isn't an inevitable part of getting older. Pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles involved in bladder control, and they may help with leaks when you cough or lift.”
• “I can refer you for an individual appointment with a continence physiotherapist, who can teach you one-to-one. I can't promise a cure, and no exercise programme has been set yet. Does that make sense so far?”

5. Closing

• “If you're happy, I'll refer you to a continence physiotherapist, note how you'd like us to contact you, and book a follow-up nursing appointment with me.”
• “Could you tell me in your own words what happens next? And is there anything else about the leaks you'd like to ask before we finish?”

Phrases to adapt

Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.

• Talking about urine leaks can feel awkward; thank you for discussing this with me.
• You do not need to apologise for asking about bladder control.
• Which part of the explanation about these muscles would you like me to clarify?
• Before we finish, is there another concern about the leakage you wanted to raise?

Medical words in plain English

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). See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.

Practise this card with the AI patient

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All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Nursing.

Questions about this role-play

Sources

• OET: Speaking sub-test
• OET Speaking assessment criteria and level descriptors
• OET Test Handbook 2026

Last checked 22 October 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.