The candidate card
Setting
Hospital ward (surgical)
Candidate
You are a nurse on a surgical ward. Mrs Belinda Hazeldene, aged 52, had a left mastectomy for breast cancer two days ago. She is recovering well and is being discharged today with one wound drain still in place, which will be removed when the output is low enough. The community nursing team has confirmed daily home visits starting tomorrow morning; if the nurse has not arrived by the afternoon, she should ring the community nursing office. You have written drain-care instructions, an output chart and a contact card listing the breast care nurse (weekdays, office hours), the ward's 24-hour phone line for problems at any other time, and when to call an ambulance.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about Mrs Hazeldene's concerns about going home and the support she has at home
- Explain how to look after the drain and record the output (keeping the bottle secure and below the wound, avoiding pulling, using the chart provided)
- Explain the warning signs and who to contact (infection, bleeding, swelling, contact card)
- Reassure her about managing the drain at home
- Agree the follow-up arrangements (daily community nurse visits, drain removal, written instructions)
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
- Begin by asking what worries her most about going home, then who will be with her. A woman going home with a drain after cancer surgery may be anxious about the drain, the wound or being alone, so let her name the concern first.
- Teach drain care in the order she will do it: keep the bottle secure and below the wound, avoid pulling on it, then record the output. Show the chart and ask her to repeat the steps back.
- Link the warning signs to the contact card. Go through every sign on the written instructions, including infection, bleeding and swelling, and make clear who to call: breast care nurse in office hours, the ward line at other times, and when to use an ambulance.
- Reassure her with facts, not general comfort: nurses will visit daily, the drain is temporary and will be removed when the output is low enough, and she has written instructions. Do not promise a removal date.
- Finish with the follow-up details: the first community nurse visit tomorrow morning and the instruction to ring the community nursing office if no nurse has arrived by the afternoon. Use teach-back on who to call for what.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- What part of managing the drain at home worries you most?
- You do not have to remember everything now. It is all on the card.
- Can you show me how you would check the bottle and fill in the chart?
- If the nurse has not arrived by the afternoon, this is the number to ring.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| wound drain | A thin tube that carries fluid from the surgical area into a small bottle. |
| output | The amount of fluid collecting in the drain bottle, which you write on the chart. |
| mastectomy | Surgery to remove breast tissue, which you have had on the left side. |
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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- Ward: husband alarmed by his wife's sudden confusion Hospital ward (medical)
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Nursing.
Questions about this role-play
What if she says she cannot look at the drain or wound?
Accept that feeling without pressure and ask what is hardest. Suggest practical steps, such as starting with the bottle and chart, and ask who at home could help. Remind her that the community nurse will visit daily and can support her.
Should I tell her when the drain will be removed?
No. The card says it will be removed when the output is low enough, so explain that criterion and that the nurses and team will decide. Giving a specific date or number would go beyond what the card says.
Which contact do I stress most?
Match the contact to the situation. The breast care nurse is for weekdays in office hours, the ward line for problems at any other time, the community nursing office if the nurse is late, and an ambulance as set out on the card. Check she can tell you which is which.
Sources
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