OET Nursing HPV Role-Play: Explain the Result to a Patient

Your goal: You are the nurse in an OET-style speaking role-play. Your partner is the patient. Read both cards below, learn what the patient’s screening result means, then practise explaining it and answering her questions aloud.

Original nurse and patient role-play cards

This is an original teaching exercise informed by the matching Course 9 book. It is not an official OET paper or a real patient record. Give the patient card to your partner. Read only your own card during preparation.

How to practise: Allow three minutes to read and plan. Then speak with your partner for about five minutes. The patient should answer naturally. The nurse should listen and respond, not read a prepared speech all the way through.

Understand the condition before you speak

In the exam, your patient does not need a medical lecture. You need to understand the situation well enough to explain it simply. Read this section before you try the role-play. It tells you what the words in Maya’s letter mean and why the nurse gives this advice.

What are the cervix and HPV?

The cervix is the opening to the womb from the vagina. HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It is a group of common viruses. HPV can pass through intimate skin-to-skin contact; penetrative sex is not necessary. Many people have HPV without knowing because it usually causes no symptoms. Having it is not a reason for shame, and a screening result cannot tell you when a person first acquired it.

Some types are described as high risk. This means that, if a high-risk type remains in the body, it can sometimes cause changes in the cells of the cervix. Those cell changes may need further assessment or treatment. High risk does not mean that Maya already has cancer. In most cases the body clears HPV. There is no medicine that directly removes the HPV infection; treatment is available if problems such as abnormal cells develop. This is why follow-up matters.

What exactly did Maya’s screening test find?

At cervical screening, a clinician takes a small sample of cells from the cervix. The laboratory checks for high-risk HPV. If it finds HPV, it also checks the sample for abnormal changes in the cervical cells. Maya’s letter contains two separate results:

• HPV found: the sample showed high-risk HPV.
• No abnormal cells found: the laboratory did not find abnormal changes to the cervical cells in this sample.

This is the difference the nurse must explain. HPV found does not mean cancer found. “No abnormal cell changes” does not mean that the HPV result was negative. It describes the cell check. The nurse should say both findings, then ask whether Maya can hear the difference. Cervical screening helps prevent cancer by finding HPV and cell changes; it is not itself a diagnostic test that proves a person can never have cancer.

Why is she asked to return in one year?

The letter asks Maya to repeat cervical screening in one year because HPV was found. The repeat test checks whether HPV is still present and whether any cell changes have appeared. Many people will have cleared the virus by then. Do not promise Maya that her next result will be negative; the card gives no future result. If HPV remains but no abnormal cells are found, the NHS may ask for another test a year later. If HPV persists after two years, a closer examination called a colposcopy may be offered. Those later steps explain why monitoring is useful; Maya’s immediate task is to follow the one-year invitation in her own letter.

Do not mix up this case with HPV found and abnormal cell changes found. That is a different screening result and can lead to a colposcopy sooner. Never use the one-year advice automatically for every positive letter. Read the exact result in the role card.

What if Maya worries about her partner?

HPV may be present for many years without symptoms. A positive result cannot identify who first had it or when it was acquired. It does not prove that a partner has had another relationship. The nurse can explain this fact and acknowledge Maya’s worry, but cannot make claims about the couple’s private history. If she is too anxious to absorb the follow-up plan, first answer the worry she has actually raised.

What practical advice is appropriate?

In this card there is no abnormal cell change requiring treatment. The useful advice is to keep the result letter, follow the one-year screening invitation, and ask the GP surgery or screening service if the invitation or result is unclear. If Maya develops symptoms such as vaginal bleeding that is unusual for her, a change in discharge, or pain that concerns her, she should speak to a GP instead of waiting for the repeat screening date. These symptoms have many possible causes; do not suggest she has cancer from symptoms that are not even present in the card. HPV vaccination can help protect against some types, but it does not replace screening and it is not a cure for an existing infection. A vaccination discussion is optional here; do not let it crowd out the five tasks.

In one breath for the patient: “Your sample showed HPV, a common virus. It showed no abnormal changes in the cervical cells. Your letter asks you to have another screening test in one year so the service can check the result again.”

Work through the nurse’s five tasks

Plan these five jobs during your preparation. You are having a conversation, so the patient’s answers may change the order. You still need to cover the meaning and the advice accurately.

1. Ask what Maya thinks the letter means. Start with an open question: “What did you understand from the result?” When she says she fears cancer, acknowledge the fear. Do not jump straight into a technical explanation. This first answer tells you where to begin. If she is worried about the partner rather than cancer, respond to that concern too.
2. Explain HPV and both parts of the result. Use “common virus” and, if needed, “cervix means the opening to the womb.” Then give the two findings clearly: HPV was found; no abnormal cell changes were found. Tell her that a positive HPV result is not a cancer diagnosis. Stop and ask, “Which part would you like me to go over again?” If she says “So my cells are abnormal,” correct that one point before moving on.
3. Explain the reason for the one-year test. Link the action to the condition: because HPV was found, the screening service wants to check whether it is still present and whether the cells have changed. Use the time written in this case’s letter. Advice without its reason is easy to forget; “come back in a year” alone does not answer Maya’s question.
4. Answer the partner question sensitively. “This test cannot show when you got HPV” is the key fact. “It does not prove that your partner has been unfaithful” addresses her actual fear. Allow a pause. Avoid “You must have caught it years ago” because the card does not tell you when. Avoid dismissing the question as irrelevant.
5. Check understanding and close with a plan. Ask Maya to tell you what was found, what was not found, and when the repeat test is due. Correct any misunderstanding gently. Ask whether she has the letter and knows how to contact the surgery or screening service if the invitation does not arrive or she has questions. A specific plan is a stronger finish than “Do you understand?”

Model response from the nurse’s viewpoint

The following is one possible nurse response, written from the nurse’s viewpoint as connected speech rather than a nurse–patient script. In the real role-play, pause at the questions so the patient can answer. Change your next sentence to fit what the interlocutor says.

“Maya, I can see this letter has frightened you, especially because you saw the word ‘positive’ in the middle of your shift. What did you think that word meant? ... I understand why you thought of cancer. Let me explain exactly what the letter says. HPV is a very common virus. Some types can affect the cells of the cervix if they stay in the body. Your sample showed high-risk HPV, but it did not show abnormal changes in the cells of your cervix. An HPV-positive result does not mean you have been diagnosed with cancer. Is that distinction clear so far, or shall I explain it another way?”

“You asked why another test is needed if no abnormal cells were found. That is a sensible question. Your letter says there are no abnormal cell changes in this sample. But HPV was found. The repeat screening in one year will check whether HPV is still present and whether the cells have changed. Many people clear HPV, but it is important to attend the test rather than assume it has gone. Your letter says to come back in a year. Do you have the letter with you, so we can look at the follow-up details together?”

“I also hear that you are worried about your partner. I am glad you asked. This result cannot tell us when you acquired HPV. It can be present without anyone knowing for a long time. So this positive result does not prove that your partner has been unfaithful. I do not want to guess about your relationship from a screening letter. What part of that is worrying you most?”

“Before we finish, could you tell me in your own words what the letter did find, what it did not find, and what happens next? ... Yes: HPV was found, no abnormal cell changes were found, and the letter asks you to return for screening in one year. Keep the letter and note the follow-up so you do not miss it. If you are unsure how the invitation will arrive, please contact the GP surgery or screening service using the details on the letter. If you notice symptoms such as bleeding that is unusual for you, contact a GP rather than waiting for the screening appointment. What else would you like to ask me before we finish?”

Notice the pauses. A model paragraph helps you learn useful sentences, but the real OET conversation is with a person. If the interlocutor says something new, respond to it. Do not deliver the whole block without giving Maya a chance to speak.

Speaking tips for this role-play

• Break the explanation into short parts. Say what HPV is. Pause. Say what was found and not found. Pause again. Then explain the repeat test.
• Speak to Maya, not to an examiner. Her first worry is cancer. She later raises her partner. Let each question shape the next sentence.
• Keep the negative audible. Stress the word no in “no abnormal cell changes.” If you accidentally say “abnormal cells were found,” correct yourself immediately.
• Use the letter, not a guessed plan. Here it says one year. If another role card has a different result, the advice may change.
• Ask one check question at a time. “What does this result mean to you now?” gives the patient room to answer. If the answer is wrong, rephrase simply.

Model communication sentences to practise aloud

• When the patient is frightened: “I can see why the word ‘positive’ worried you. Let us look at the whole result.”
• To explain HPV: “HPV is a common virus. Some types can cause cell changes if they remain in the body.”
• To state this result accurately: “HPV was found, but no abnormal changes were found in the cervical cells.”
• To give advice: “Your letter asks you to attend another screening test in one year. Keep the letter and follow the invitation.”
• To answer the partner worry: “A positive HPV result does not tell us when you got the virus or prove that anyone has been unfaithful.”
• To check understanding: “Just so I know I explained it clearly, what will you tell someone at home about the result and next step?”

Speak one sentence, then invite a reply. Keep your phrases short. Do not memorise every sentence. Practise saying the meaning in your own words while keeping the two findings and the next step correct.

Common mistakes and quick corrections

Now try the role-play yourself

Attempt one: Record a five-minute role-play. You should hear Maya speak several times. Afterwards, check these five points: Did you explain HPV? Did you say no abnormal cells were found? Did you explain why the test is repeated in a year? Did you handle her partner concern without guessing? Did you ask her to explain the result back to you?

Attempt two: Ask your partner to change the opening to “I know HPV was found, but I am worried the follow-up means the cells are already abnormal.” Give a shorter explanation this time. Start with what the result actually says, then explain the reason for follow-up and stop for a response. If you forget the word “no,” start again. That one word matters more than a complicated vocabulary choice.

One-minute revision: Without looking, say aloud: “HPV found. No abnormal cell changes found. Repeat screening in one year.” Then explain those three points as you would to a patient. If your partner cannot repeat the meaning, use simpler words and try again.

Explore the matching OET Speaking for Nurses — Course 9 for more condition-based nursing speaking practice. For individual OET tuition, students can propose online lesson dates and times around their shifts, subject to tutor availability.

This illustrative role-play is original teaching material, not an official OET assessment. Clinical details and the one-year follow-up for HPV found with no abnormal cells were checked against NHS cervical-screening results the NHS HPV guide, and the NHS cervical-screening guide. For symptoms, see NHS advice on symptoms.

Source: 67 OET Nurse Speaking.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.