The candidate card
Setting
Hand therapy outpatient clinic
Candidate
You are an occupational therapist in a hand therapy clinic. Three weeks ago, an 8-year-old girl had a scald burn to the back of her right hand and fingers, and the wounds have now healed. Two weeks ago you fitted a night splint, to be worn overnight to keep her fingers stretched, and a pressure glove to reduce scarring, prescribed for wear day and night and taken off only for bathing, washing the glove and moisturising the skin. Her mother, Ms Wanjiru Mutua, has come to today's review alone while her daughter is at school, without the splint or glove, and says she has stopped using them.
Task (interlocutor: parent)
- Find out why Ms Mutua has stopped using the splint and glove (when, what her daughter complains of, how the hand looks and moves)
- Explain in simple terms why the splint and glove are important at this stage of healing (scar tightening, hand movement)
- Reassure Ms Mutua that her daughter's discomfort will be assessed and can be reduced (checking and adjusting the fit, skin care for itch)
- Suggest practical ways to help her daughter accept the splint and glove (bedtime routine, involving her daughter)
- Agree a safe plan for restarting them and arrange follow-up (fit check first, wearing times, warning signs)
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
- Open by asking what has been happening with the splint and glove, without any hint of blame. Ms Mutua is alone today, and she may feel guilty or have been dealing with a distressed child. Let her explain before you correct.
- Ask when they stopped, what her daughter says about them, and how the hand looks and moves. The daughter's complaints guide the fix, and the hand's appearance tells you whether you need to act on any changes today.
- Explain why the splint and glove matter at this stage in terms of healed skin tightening and the effect on hand movement. Keep to those two reasons, and be honest that stopping carries risk without frightening her.
- Reassure her that discomfort is something you can check and adjust, such as the fit and itch care. Then offer ideas to help her daughter accept them, such as a bedtime routine, and involve the girl herself.
- Do not simply send her home to restart. Agree that a fit check comes first, then the wearing times as prescribed, plus the warning signs to look for and when to contact you, and book the follow-up.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Lots of children find these hard to keep on. You're not alone in this.
- Can you tell me what she says about them when you put them on?
- Let's check the fit first, so we're not asking her to wear something uncomfortable.
- Would it help if your daughter came in and chose part of the routine?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| pressure glove | A snug glove that presses on the healed skin to help reduce scarring. |
| night splint | A support worn overnight that keeps her fingers gently stretched. |
| scar tightening | As scars form, the skin can shorten and make the fingers harder to straighten. |
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 Occupational Therapy role-play cards
- Making the kitchen safe for a mother with dementia Home visit
- Wanting to drive home after a stroke Inpatient rehabilitation ward
- Handwriting difficulties: is my son just lazy? Paediatric occupational therapy clinic
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Occupational Therapy.
Questions about this role-play
Should I tell her to restart the glove straight away?
Not before you have checked the fit and assessed the hand. Restarting a poorly fitting glove may add to the discomfort that made her daughter refuse. Agree a plan where the fit check comes first, then the wearing schedule you prescribed.
What if the mother says her daughter hates how it looks?
Treat it as a real reason, not an excuse. Ask what bothers her daughter, such as looks, itch or friends' comments, and respond to it. Then involve the daughter in choices where possible, and offer to speak with her at the next visit.
How do I avoid making her feel blamed?
Praise her for coming in and for raising the problem. Describe the issue as a common one with a practical fix. Use 'we' when planning, and avoid asking why she did not follow instructions.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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