Free OET Speaking sample · Nursing
OET Speaking sample: a nurse role-play
OET Speaking is two role-plays, each with 3 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes to speak. Here is an invented nursing role-play card, the start of a model conversation, and how that opening meets each of the five clinical communication criteria.
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Role-play card · Nursing
The role-play card
Read it as you would in the 3 minutes of preparation: what does the patient need from you, and in what order?
Setting: General practice surgery
You are a practice nurse. Mr Daniel Okafor, 52, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last week (HbA1c 58 mmol/mol). The GP has started modified-release metformin 500 mg once daily with the evening meal. He has come to discuss the diagnosis and his new tablets.
Task
- Find out what Mr Okafor understands about type 2 diabetes and how he feels about the diagnosis.
- Explain briefly what type 2 diabetes is (e.g., body does not make enough insulin or respond to it properly, blood glucose stays high, can damage eyes, kidneys and feet over time, etc.).
- Explain how to take metformin (e.g., with the evening meal, swallow whole, dose increased slowly over a few weeks, etc.). Reassure him about stomach upset (e.g., common at first, usually settles, etc.).
- Find out about his diet and activity and encourage small changes (e.g., fewer sugary drinks, a daily walk, etc.).
- Explain the follow-up plan (e.g., diabetes education course, blood test in about 3 months, regular eye screening and yearly foot checks, etc.). Find out any other concerns.
On the interlocutor's card, Mr Okafor might be worried that he will soon need insulin injections, because his father did, and might say he doesn't have time to exercise because he works long shifts as a delivery driver.
Model answer · first two tasks
How a strong role-play starts
The first minute or so of a model conversation. Notice how short the nurse's turns are, and how often she asks rather than tells.
Nurse: Good morning, Mr Okafor. I'm Anna, one of the practice nurses. Dr Hughes asked me to see you about your diabetes and your new tablets. Is that all right?
Patient: Yes, fine. I'm still a bit shocked, to be honest.
Nurse: That's completely understandable. It's a lot to take in. Before I explain anything, could you tell me what you already know about type 2 diabetes?
Patient: Just that it's sugar in the blood. My dad had it, and he ended up on injections. I don't want that.
Nurse: I can hear that's worrying you, especially after seeing what your dad went through. Many people with type 2 diabetes never need insulin, and the changes we'll talk about today can help a lot. Would it help if I explain what's happening in your body first?
Patient: Yes, please.
Nurse: Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar from your blood into your muscles, where it's used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, your body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't respond to it as well as it should, so the sugar stays in your blood. Over many years, high sugar can damage small blood vessels and nerves, especially in your eyes, kidneys and feet. Does that make sense so far?
Patient: I think so. So the tablets bring the sugar down?
Nurse: Exactly. Let's talk about how to take them, and then about what you eat and how active you are, because both make a real difference.
Why this opening works
One point under each clinical communication criterion.
- Relationship building
- She greets him, gives her name and role, says why he's there and asks if that's all right. When he says he's shocked, she acknowledges it before moving on.
- Understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective
- She picks up his worry about injections and his father, names it back to him, and answers it, instead of carrying on with the card.
- Providing structure
- She asks permission before explaining, and at the end signposts what comes next: the tablets, then diet and activity.
- Information gathering
- She opens with a question about what he already knows, so she can pitch the explanation at the right level.
- Information giving
- The explanation is short, in plain words ("sugar", "small blood vessels"), and she checks he has understood before going on.
Talk to a patient who answers back, timed like the real test, and get marks on all nine criteria. A free practice day, no card needed.
OET Speaking questions
How long is the OET Speaking test?
About 20 minutes. After a short warm-up conversation that isn't marked, you do two role-plays. For each one you get 3 minutes to read the card and prepare, then about 5 minutes of conversation.
Who do nurses speak to in the OET Speaking role-plays?
An interlocutor plays a patient or a relative or carer. You play yourself as a nurse. The interlocutor has their own card with the patient's side of the story, so expect worries and questions that aren't on your card.
How is OET Speaking marked?
The role-plays are recorded and marked afterwards by trained assessors, not by the interlocutor. There are four linguistic criteria (Intelligibility, Fluency, Appropriateness of Language, and Resources of Grammar and Expression) and five clinical communication criteria (Relationship building, Understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, Providing structure, Information gathering, and Information giving).
Can I use my own words, or do I have to follow the card?
Use your own words. The card tells you what to cover, not what to say. A role-play that covers the tasks in a sensible order while answering what the patient actually says scores better than reading the bullets out one by one.