OET Case notes

WRITING SUB-TEST: NURSING

TIME ALLOWED: READING TIME: 5 MINUTES
WRITING TIME: 40 MINUTES

Read the case notes and complete the writing task which follows.

Notes:

You are a nurse in the General Surgery Department of the North Lonsdale Hospital. Your
patient will be discharged tomorrow.

PATIENT DETAILS

Patient: Susan Whist

Marital status: Separated with 3 daughters

Age: 67

Address: Lonsdale Street 45, Bagico City

Social background:
3 daughters living beside her Enjoys dancing, singing and yoga Retired with pension
Living with partner in 2 bedroom flat Very active in the church every weekend

Medical history:
General healthy Occasional constipation

Admission date: 22. 04. 2020

Presenting complaint to A & E:

Hematochezia 2 weeks (passage of fresh blood through anus, usually in or with stools)
Morning diarrhoea 3 weeks Weight loss 3.5kg in 3 weeks

Discharge date: 10. 05. 2020

Examination:
Palpable hard and bumpy mass by rectal palpation Abdominal and pelvic CT and MRI confirmed
rectal cancer No tumor metastasis was found in chest CT

Diagnosis:
Rectal cancer
Rectostomy

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 OET Case notes

Management and progress:

26. 04. 2020

Combined abdominal and perineal resection (Miles operation) and permanent colostomy of
abdomen
Good postoperative recovery
Obs T 36.8, pulse 77 bpm, sats 99%, BP 135/80, RR 19 Postoperative pipeline care
Professional guidance of Rectostomy nurses Anxiety after operation with use of colostomy
Counselling consultation with therapist Wound cleaning and dressing
Surgical site clean and dry

05. 05. 2020

First round of chemotherapy

Discharge plan
Community nurses to visit every other day Monitoring surgical and rectostomy site Build
regular eating habits
Keep the stoma and anal pouch clean
Start the second chemotherapy one month later Visit of counsellor as needed

Writing task:

Using the information given in the case notes, write a letter to the community nursing team for
the patient’s further care. Community Nurse Manager, Lonsdale Centre, Bagico City

In your answer:
• Expand the relevant notes into complete sentences
• Do not use note form
• Use letter format

The body of the letter should be approximately 180–200 words.

© 2023 Swoosh English