In my experience of being an OET teacher, I have seen many Nursing students take the Sydney Language Solutions OET courses and then go on to sit the OET examination. In that time, I have come across some questions that Nursing students frequently ask me. I will share some of these in this blog and provide the subsequent answers.

 

What kind of a letter will I be writing?

Most of the time you will be writing a referral letter based on the case notes provided. However, this has been known to change in some exams, so you should also prepare to write a letter to advise or inform a patient/carer, or a letter of transfer, following their discharge from your care.

 

Will I always be writing to another nurse?

No, there is no guarantee that you will be writing to a nurse. Of course sometimes, you will be writing to a nurse at another hospital or at a community centre or a nursing home. However, you may also be expected to write to a physiotherapist, a doctor or, perhaps even, the carer or family member of the patient.

 

What date do I put at the top?

Don’t stress over this minor detail. This really doesn’t matter too much but students commonly ask me this question. I usually suggest writing the discharge date or the date of the most recent presentation. Or, if in doubt, just write today’s date.

 

Are the address, date, subject line and salutation (i.e. Dear Nurse,) included in the word count?

No, these are not included in the word count of 180-200 words. The word count begins at the introduction – that is, when you start writing ‘I am writing to refer…’ – and includes up until your conclusion. But they are still very important elements of your letter because they contribute to its layout. They make the letter actually LOOK like a letter!