Try Henry O’Keefe

Occupational English Test – Writing (Nursing)

Occupational English Test (Nursing)

Instructions:

• You have 45 minutes to write this letter.
• During the first 5 minutes, you should not pick the pencil.
• Start writing only when you are told.
• During the Reading Time, try to understand the case notes.

Details to Fill In:

• CANDIDATE NAME. ROLL NUMBER.
• DATE OF BIRTH. VENUE OF THE TEST. TEST DATE.

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

Notes:

Today’s Date: 20/03/2024.

You are a nurse with the Blue Skies Home Nursing Centre. You visited this patient at home today for the first time following a referral from the Mater Public Hospital. He was discharged from hospital on 17/03/2024. 

• Name: Henry O’Keefe.
• Address: 12 Donaldson Street, Green Slopes, 4121; Phone: (07) 3941 2267.
• Date of Birth: 2 February 1941
• Admitted: 12/03/2024.
• Diagnosis: Malignant Melanoma, Left Shoulder. 
• Social History → Married aged pensioner. No children. Lives in a housing commission home with wife Dorothy (also an aged pensioner).
• Medical History → Large lesion successfully removed 13/03/2024. 
• Discharged 17/03/2024.

1st home visit 19/03/2024

• Nurse in Charge: Ms Rose Pullen. 
• Time: 10 am. 
• Showered patient. Wound dressed – healing satisfactory. No sign of infection. Balance a little shaky. Complaining of increased arthritic pains in hands and legs. 
• Taking Glucosamine & Chondroitin Supplement recommended by GP.
• Pain relieved with 3 Panadol 2 times daily.
• Confused about why he had the operation.
• Dorothy concerned about future. 
• Tells you she will be 83 in October. Says Henry has not been himself since the surgery. 
• Keeps forgetting things. She finds it difficult to manage the house and garden. 
• Neighbours are helping with shopping.
• Kitchen and bathroom disordered. Trouble finding clean towels. Dishes piled in sink.
• Bed unmade. 

Home Visit – 20/03/2024

• Henry showered and wound dressed. 
• Still a little unbalanced.
• Rests most of the day. 
• Does not remember being showered yesterday. 
• House still disorganised. Washing piled up in the bathroom.
• Dorothy says she would be lost without help from neighbours who also appear to be cooking meals for the couple.

Concerns: 

• Provided there are no complications with the wound healing, your role in providing nursing care ends when sutures are removed after 6 days.
• You consider that Henry and Dorothy need to be assessed for further on-going assistance in managing the house and garden and with shopping and the preparation of cooking. 

Plan

• Request a home visit by the Aged Care Assessment Team as soon as possible to fully assess their needs and to arrange for appropriate further assistance to be provided.
• Removal of sutures at Mater Public Hospital on 25/03/2024. 

Writing Task 

Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to The Director, Aged Care Assessment Team, Brisbane South Region, 78 Masterson St. Acacia Ridge, Brisbane 4110. Explain why you are writing and what types of assistance may be required. 

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.