OET Role play- Catarrh.

Asked for 11 OCT 2020  OET speaking session

PATIENT. Role play. SETTING Community Health Centre
You are 22 years old and have had a cold which has left you with a build-up of mucus (catarrh) and & constant need to clear your throat. You have come for advice on treatment. TASK § When asked, say you have had a cold for a couple of weeks and it’s left you with a build-up of mucus, which means you need to clear your throat a lot. This is quite unpleasant for you and people around you. Say you want some advice on treatment. § Say you don’t have a runny nose, but you are coughing up lots of white mucus and your face and neck hurt as a result. Your senses of smell and taste are fine. § Say you were hoping the nurse would give you a prescription for something which would be more effective than over- the-counter medication. § Say you will try over-the-counter medication, but you are worried the problem might carry on for a long time. Say you It follow the nurse’s advice and will make an appointment with your GP if there is no improvement
NURSE. Role play. SETTING Community Health Centre
You see a 22-year-old patent who has had a cold and as a result has a build-up of mucus (catarrh) and a constant need to clear his/her throat. He/she wants some advice on treatment. TASK § Find out the reason for the patient’s visit § Find out more details of symptoms (runny nose, colour of mucus, facial pain, reduced sense of smell/taste, etc.) • Ouitline ways to relieve catarrh (e.g., drink cold water before clearing, saline nasal rinse. avoid warm dry atmosphere, stay well-hydrated, etc.), Suggest over-the-counter medication (e.g., decongestants, antihistamines, etc.). • Resist request for prescription (e.g., not necessary. not your role, etc.). • Reassure patient about catarrh (e.g., usually temporary, not harmful, self-limiting, etc.). Advise need to see GP if problem persists for more than six weeks {e.g., rule out any underlying condition/unidentified food sensitivity etc)

Watch on YouTube

Model answer

---

🩺 OET Nurse Role Play – Post-Cold Catarrh

Setting: Community Health Centre
Nurse: John (you)
Patient: Matthew, 22

---

Nurse:
Hi, I am John, one of the registered nurses working here in this community health centre. How can I help you today?

Patient:
Hi nurse, um, I really need some help because I’m really struggling with a buildup of mucus and I have to clear my throat all the time. So, I hope you would really help me.

Nurse:
Certainly, I’ll be glad to assist you with that. But before we proceed any further, I would like to collect some information for documentation purpose. Is that alright?

Patient:
Yes, please.

Nurse:
Tell me your name?

Patient:
My name is Matthew.

Nurse:
Matthew, what’s your age?

Patient:
22 years.

Nurse:
Do you smoke or drink?

Patient:
No.

Nurse:
Are you allergic to any medicine?

Patient:
No, I am not.

Nurse:
Do you have any ongoing health conditions?

Patient:
No, I am fine.

Nurse:
Are you on any long-term medication?

Patient:
No.

Nurse:
When did this issue start?

Patient:
It’s been over 2–3 weeks.

Nurse:
And have you taken any medication so far?

Patient:
No, I was under the impression that it would just go away by itself. But since it’s not going away, I have come for help.

Nurse:
Okay, certainly. I understand.
So please tell me, do you struggle from runny nose?

Patient:
No, I don’t have a problem with runny nose.

Nurse:
What’s the colour of your mucus, if you have noticed?

Patient:
I think it’s white in colour.

Nurse:
Do you get pain on your face when you have to clear your throat?

Patient:
Yes, all the time. Because I always have to clear my throat like this [clears throat], and the people around me may not feel it appealing. So, I feel it is kind of disgusting to do that all the time.

Nurse:
Yes, I can certainly understand that. You don’t worry, it’ll be all right. We’ll see what we can do here.
What about your sense of smell and taste—do you feel any difference in that?

Patient:
Not at all. My sense of smell and taste—they are just fine.

Nurse:
Okay, thanks for providing all this information.
Mr. Matthew, first of all, let me explain to you what this condition might be. So, this is called catarrh, means a buildup of mucus.
So, there’s nothing to be worried about. It’s just a temporary issue—it’s not really serious. It’s just for a short period of time and it’ll just go away by itself anyway.
So I can recommend you some home remedies first of all. Can I explain these things to you?

Patient:
Okay.

Nurse:
First of all, you can drink cold water as much as possible, and before you clear your throat—that would help you with the irritation. Do you understand?

Patient:
Okay.

Nurse:
Secondly, you can try saline nasal drains. That would help you a lot. Would you be able to do that?

Patient:
Okay, I can try that.

Nurse:
And most importantly, please try to avoid warm and dry atmosphere and stay well hydrated.
That means, as much as possible, drink water so that that would help you a lot. Do you understand?

Patient:
Yes, yes. These things are fine. I’ll try that.
But I need some prescription medications so that these things will go away faster, because I don’t like it just causing this issue. I don’t want it to go on for a prolonged period of time.

Nurse:
Yes Mr. Matthew, I certainly understand. I understand that you would like to have some prescription medication.
First of all, I can suggest you to go with decongestants and antihistamines. These medications are not really prescription medication—you do not need prescription. You can get these medications from any of the pharmacies.

Patient:
Okay, but I need some prescription medication. Over-the-counter medication may not be as effective as prescription medication, you know?

Nurse:
Yes, yes Matthew, I understand.
Doctors usually suggest this medication for people with this kind of issue—what you have mentioned.
Moreover, in order to obtain prescription medication, you need to consult with your doctor, your GP or something.
But I recommend that, first of all, you try these two medications, which you can, like I mentioned before, get from any of the pharmacies.
And if the symptoms do not subside within six weeks, you can certainly contact your GP and even ask for prescription, and the GP would guide you further from there.
How does that sound?

Patient:
Okay, that sounds fine.

Nurse:
Okay. So, one more thing I would like to ask you.
Are you allergic to any food?

Patient:
No.

Nurse:
Okay. So, can you think of anything that may be causing this irritation or anything?

Patient:
No, I don’t really know.

Nurse:
Okay, I understand.
So, as we have discussed, I recommend that you follow the suggestions I’ve just given.
Also, please try the medications I’ve mentioned—you can get it from any pharmacies. Do you understand, Mr. Matthew?

Patient:
Okay.

Nurse:
Would you like to ask me any other questions or doubts that you may have?

Patient:
No, it’s clear.

Nurse:
That’s wonderful.
To summarise our conversation—you are here and you’re struggling from buildup of mucus, a condition called catarrh.
And we have discussed the possible causes, and I have also given you some suggestions which you can practise at home.
Also, recommended you over-the-counter medications which you can try for the coming days.
And within six weeks, if the symptoms do not subside, you can certainly meet with your GP and the GP would guide you further from there.
Okay?
So, it was nice talking to you. I wish you a fast recovery.
And if you need any help, always feel free to come back to me.
Thank you Mr. Matthew, take care.

---

---

📝 OET Speaking Assessment: Role Play Evaluation

1. Relationship Building ✅

• ✅ Excellent greeting: “Hi, I am John, one of the registered nurses…” – warm and professional.
• ✅ Empathy shown: “I can certainly understand that… don’t worry…” – shows emotional sensitivity.
• ✅ Reassurance: “It’s a temporary issue… nothing to be worried about” – very appropriate.

🔹 Score: 5/5
🎯 Keep up this friendly, calming tone and patient-centred language.

---

2. Understanding and Incorporating the Patient’s Perspective ✅

• ✅ You asked about:
  • Duration
  • Symptoms (runny nose, mucus colour, pain)
  • Ongoing medication
  • Allergies (both food and medicine) – well done
  • Patient’s ideas: “Can you think of anything that may be causing this?”
• ✅ Acknowledged and responded to the prescription request empathetically.

🔹 Score: 5/5
🎯 You respected the patient’s viewpoint while gently redirecting them – very effective.

---

3. Information Gathering ✅

• ✅ Covered:
  • Duration of illness
  • Colour and consistency of mucus
  • Associated symptoms (pain, taste/smell)
  • Previous treatment efforts
  • Lifestyle-related questions (alcohol, smoking, allergies)

🔹 Score: 5/5
🎯 Your approach was structured and complete.

---

4. Information Giving ✅

• ✅ Explained:
  • What catarrh is, in layman’s terms.
  • It’s self-limiting and temporary.
• ✅ Recommended:
  • Home remedies (cold water, saline rinse, hydration, avoiding warm dry atmosphere)
  • OTC medications (decongestants, antihistamines)
• ✅ Guided next steps: consult GP if symptoms persist beyond 6 weeks.

🔹 Score: 5/5
🎯 You gave clear, practical advice and maintained clinical accuracy.

---

5. Structure of the Conversation ✅

• Logical flow: Introduction → History taking → Explanation → Advice → Reassurance → Summary.
• Clear summary at the end: “You are here… struggling with mucus… we discussed possible causes…”

🔹 Score: 5/5
🎯 Great organisation and natural transitions.

---

6. Linguistic Criteria 🟡

• ✅ Mostly fluent with minor hesitations.
• ✅ Good use of respectful, empathetic language.
• ⚠️ Slight grammar slips and awkward phrasing:
  • “I can explain to you these things” → better: “Let me explain these to you.”
  • “Try salign drinking nasal drains” → Probably meant “saline nasal rinse.”
  • “Let me recommend you” → should be “Let me recommend…”

🔹 Score: 4/5
🎯 Work on grammatical precision and eliminate minor slips.

---

7. Pronunciation / Intonation / Clarity 🟡

• ✅ Generally clear, patient understood everything.
• ⚠️ Pronunciation of “catarrh” or “saline” may need slight refinement.
• ⚠️ Watch pace—avoid repeating phrases like “you understand?” too often.

🔹 Score: 4/5
🎯 Polish pronunciation and rhythm slightly for more fluency.

---

🔚 Final Summary:

Criteria	Score
Relationship Building	✅ 5/5
Understanding Patient	✅ 5/5
Information Gathering	✅ 5/5
Information Giving	✅ 5/5
Structure & Organisation	✅ 5/5
Linguistic Accuracy	🟡 4/5
Pronunciation & Intonation	🟡 4/5

---

🏆 Overall Score: 33/35 — Excellent!