Aching feet

PATIENT. Role play. Setting: Private Clinic 
You are a 52-year-old working long hours in customer service. You are tired and have been experiencing aching feet. Sometimes you have numbness and tingling, which is worse at night. You are worried because your uncle has Multiple Sclerosis and your aunt has Parkinson’s disease. 
TASK
•Tell the nurse that you are very tired, you suffer from symptoms in the feet, your memory is not too good, and when you are stressed, your hands shake.
•Explain that your work is stressful, moves at a frantic pace, and you have dozens of things to remember but don’t write them down. What can be done?
•Accept that perhaps stress is causing your symptoms.
•Agree to a referral to a podiatrist and seek advice from a doctor.
•Reluctantly express the ‘real’ reason you are here – you are extremely ‘paranoid’ about the chance that you may have a neurological disease because of your family history.
NURSE. Role play. Setting: Private Clinic 
You are attending to a 52-year-old who works long hours in customer service. The patient complains of being tired and has been experiencing aching feet. Sometimes he/she has numbness and tingling, which is worse at night. The patient admits to being ‘paranoid as his/her uncle has Multiple Sclerosis and his/her aunt has Parkinson’s disease. 
TASK
•Explain that working long hours and stress may produce symptoms such as tiredness and poor memory.
•Suggest initial steps to improve sore feet issues (e.g., comfortable shoes, orthopaedic shoes; compression stockings, etc.).
•Emphasise that you think the patient may be putting too much stress on him/herself.
•Recommend a visit to a podiatrist.
•Advise the patient to arrange a medical appointment.
•Highlight the importance of not self-diagnosing and thinking the worst.

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