Urinary catheter insertion    

Asked for 12 Sep 2020 OET speaking session

PATIENT. Role play. SETTING: Hospital Ward
You are 40 years old and had a urinary catheter inserted following surgery for a hernia repair. You had your catheter removed several hours ago and the nurse is checking your bladder function. TASK: § When asked, say that you’re feeling OK. You have a bit of pain in your abdomen but it is manageable. You haven’t passed any urine yet. § Say the pain started not long after the catheter was removed but it isn’t that bad, so you haven’t had any treatment. When asked, say you’ve had two glasses of water every hour, and the last one was half an hour ago. Say you were hoping you could go home now that the catheter has been removed. § Say you really don’t want the catheter to be reinserted. § Admit that you’re really not keen to go home wearing a catheter bag and you’re not sure if you’d cope with emptying it. § Say you will agree to have the catheter inserted again, but only because it will allow you to go home. Ask when you will have to come back to hospital. § Say you will monitor the pain but hope that you can get the catheter removed soon.
NURSE. Role Play. SETTING: Hospital Ward
You see a 40-year-old patient who had a urinary catheter inserted following a hernia repair. He/she had the catheter removed six hours ago and you are monitoring his/her bladder function. TASK: § Find out how the patient is feeling (any pain, whether passed urine, etc.). § Find out more details about the pain (onset, treatment tried, etc.). Explore the patient’s hydration (quantity, time of last drink, etc.). § Explain the purpose of the trial without catheter (e.g., ensure bladder function restored, etc.), and trial failure (no urine passed in six hours). Outline next steps (re-insert catheter, discharge with catheter bag, retrial within one week). § Warn the patient of possible risks of not re-inserting the catheter (e.g., urinary retention, infection, etc.). § Give details of catheter management (ease of emptying catheter bag, community nursing support available, etc.). Establish patient consent for catheter reinsertion. § Inform the patient of timescale for returning to hospital (within 1 week to remove the catheter, then repeat trial without catheter) and advise him/her to return sooner if he/she is worried (increasing pain, etc.).

Model answer

---

🏥 OET Role Play: Catheter Reinsertion After Hernia Repair

Setting: Hospital – Nurse speaking to a 40-year-old patient post-hernia repair
Duration: 5 minutes
Role: Nurse
Focus: Trial without catheter, patient pain, hydration, reinsertion, and discharge

---

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

Hello, my name is John, and I’m one of the registered nurses here. How are you feeling today?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

I’m alright, thank you. Just a bit of pain in the lower abdomen, but it’s manageable.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

I’m glad to hear it’s manageable. I understand from your records that you recently had a hernia repair, and a urinary catheter was inserted during surgery. It was removed about six hours ago. Is that correct?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

Yes, that’s correct.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

Okay, before we go any further, I’d like to gather a bit more information for your documentation. Is that alright?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

Yes, go ahead.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

Have you been able to pass urine since the catheter was removed?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

No, I tried, but I haven’t been able to urinate yet.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

I see. When did the abdominal pain start?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

It began not long after the catheter was removed.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

Understood. Have you taken any medication for the pain?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

No, nothing so far. Like I said, it’s tolerable.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

And how’s your fluid intake been today?

👨‍🦱 Patient:

I’ve been drinking about one glass of water every hour. The last one was half an hour ago.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

That’s good. It’s important to stay hydrated. Now let me explain what’s happening. You’ve undergone a trial without catheter to check if your bladder function has returned to normal. Unfortunately, because you haven’t passed urine in the past six hours, this trial is considered a failure.

👨‍🦱 Patient:

Oh… does that mean I have to get the catheter again? I really don’t want it reinserted.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

I completely understand your concern. However, if we don’t reinsert the catheter, there’s a risk of urinary retention, which can lead to bladder damage or infection. Reinsertion is necessary for now, but it’s only temporary.

👨‍🦱 Patient:

I really hoped I could go home without it. I’m not sure how I’ll manage with a catheter bag.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

You will still be discharged today with the catheter in place. We’ll provide full instructions on how to empty the bag—it’s simple—and you’ll also receive support from a community nurse. The plan is to repeat the trial without catheter in one week.

👨‍🦱 Patient:

Okay… If I can go home and it’s only for a week, I’ll agree to have it reinserted.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

Thank you for your understanding. We’ll go ahead with the reinsertion, and schedule your follow-up appointment for one week later. If at any point you experience increasing pain or discomfort, please contact the hospital immediately.

👨‍🦱 Patient:

Alright, I will. Hopefully it works next time.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse:

That’s the plan! Everything should go smoothly. I appreciate your cooperation. Let me know if you have any questions before we proceed.

---

MODEL ROLE PLAY SCRIPT DOWNLOAD PDF WATCH ON YOUTUBE

OET READING OET SPEAKING OET ROLE PLAYS OET LETTER WRITING OET LISTENING

Would you like to download a copy of the practice test? Please click on the download button below: