“Contact her son” changes Ruth Arden’s plan when the words “if she requests this” disappear. Her respite handover must preserve the condition attached to family contact.
Original practice material written by OETify. All people, services and records in this sample are fictional, for writing practice only. By the OETify editorial team.
Ruth’s choices are conditional
Ruth wants support options offered in response to her requests.
| Area | Fictional home palliative nursing notes |
|---|---|
| Patient and current care | Ruth Arden, aged 72, receiving home palliative care for advanced cancer; symptom-management plan and current medication chart supplied by her treating team |
| Respite admission | Seabank Respite Unit has accepted admission today; treating team has agreed the transfer |
| Current account | Ruth reports tiredness and wants time to rest; she speaks clearly about her preferences |
| Quiet | If Ruth asks for quiet, offer the quieter room identified in the accompanying plan; she has not requested continuous separation from other residents |
| Care discussions | Ruth prefers short discussions and asks staff to offer another discussion later if she becomes tired |
| Written questions | Ruth keeps a notebook of questions for the treating team and wants it within reach |
| Family contact | Ruth asks staff to contact her son if she requests this; she does not want a routine arrival call to him |
| Continuing care | Receiving nurse to continue the accompanying symptom-management plan; contact the named treating-team service through the plan’s route if advice is needed |
| Documents and belongings | Symptom-management plan, current medication chart and question notebook accompany her |
Handover for the respite admission
You are a home palliative care nurse. Today is 9 October 2026. Write to Mr Peter Lowe, Nurse in Charge, Seabank Respite Unit, 2 Shore Road, Seabank. Explain today’s admission, continuity of the supplied plan and Ruth’s recorded preferences.
Before drafting, identify which actions apply throughout her stay and which depend on a request or tiredness. Keep those conditions in the sentences asking staff to act.
Model letter retaining options and conditions
Model letter
Mr Peter Lowe
Nurse in Charge
Seabank Respite Unit
2 Shore Road
Seabank9 October 2026
Dear Mr Lowe,
Re: Ruth Arden, aged 72
Ms Arden is transferring to your unit today for the respite admission you have accepted, which her treating team has also agreed. Please continue her care under the accompanying symptom-management plan and current medication chart.
Ms Arden receives home palliative care for advanced cancer. She reports tiredness and would like time to rest, and she speaks clearly about her preferences. If she asks for quiet, please offer the quieter room identified in her plan. She has not requested continuous separation from other residents.
Ms Arden prefers short discussions about her care. If she becomes tired during a discussion, please offer to continue it later. She keeps a notebook of questions for her treating team, which accompanies her; please keep it within her reach.
Please contact her son if she requests this; she does not want a routine call to him on her arrival. If you need advice about her care, please contact the named treating-team service through the route given in her plan.
Thank you for caring for Ms Arden during her stay. Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the home palliative care team.
Yours sincerely,
Grace Villanueva
Registered Nurse, Home Palliative Care Team
Why the conditions stay beside the actions
These notes apply OET’s Writing assessment criteria.
| Criterion | What the model does |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Continuing care during an accepted respite admission. The opening sets out that work; later paragraphs expand how Ruth wants staff to support her. |
| Content | Ruth’s family-contact condition is part of the content, not optional background. |
| Conciseness and Clarity | Short references to the existing clinical documents are enough because the task gives no new treatment instruction. The notebook stays because Ruth asks for it within reach. |
| Genre and Style | Her preferences stay in Ruth’s terms, without calling her withdrawn or unwilling to discuss care. |
| Organisation and Layout | Rest and discussion preferences are kept apart from contact instructions. |
| Language | “If she requests this” carries the condition, with the action in the same sentence. |
A weaker letter that turns options into routines
The weaker handover keeps the requested actions but removes their conditions.
Weaker version (do not copy)
Mr Peter Lowe
Nurse in Charge
Seabank Respite Unit
2 Shore Road
Seabank9 October 2026
Dear Mr Lowe,
Re: Ruth Arden, aged 72
Ms Arden is transferring today for respite care agreed by her treating team. Please continue her symptom-management plan and medication chart. She has advanced cancer, reports tiredness and wants to rest.
Please provide a quiet room away from other residents and postpone care discussions. Keep her notebook within reach for questions to the treating team. Please contact her son on arrival.
Her plan and medication chart accompany her. Please use the plan’s treating-team contact route if you need advice.
Yours sincerely,
Grace Villanueva
Registered Nurse, Home Palliative Care Team
| Changed meaning | Repair |
|---|---|
| Requested quiet becomes a standing room instruction | Offer the plan’s quieter room if Ruth asks; she has not requested continuous separation |
| Short discussions become postponement of discussion | State her preference for short discussions; offer another later if she becomes tired |
| Requested family contact becomes a routine arrival call | Restore contact if Ruth requests it and her instruction against an arrival call |
Read each request in your handover as an instruction the receiving nurse might follow immediately. Add the recorded condition wherever immediate action would change Ruth’s choice.