OET Nursing Iron-Deficiency Anaemia Role-Play: Practical Vegetarian Advice

Your goal: In this OET-style nursing role-play, a patient with newly confirmed iron-deficiency anaemia asks whether being vegetarian means she must change everything she eats. You will explain the condition, find out what she actually eats, discuss treatment without inventing a dose, and help her take one useful step.

Original nurse and patient role-play cards

Original illustrative exercise informed by the matching Course 13 book, not an official OET paper or real patient advice. The candidate and interlocutor should prepare from separate cards.

Practice: The nurse has three minutes to plan and about five minutes to speak. The patient should not volunteer a detailed diet until invited. The candidate must ask before giving specific food advice.

Understand iron-deficiency anaemia before explaining it

What does anaemia mean?

Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body using a substance called haemoglobin. The body needs iron to make enough healthy haemoglobin. In iron-deficiency anaemia, there is not enough iron for this process, so the blood carries oxygen less effectively. This can cause tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath on exertion or other symptoms. Priya’s GP has confirmed the diagnosis in the card. You do not need to quote a blood-test number that has not been provided.

A useful patient sentence is: “Your body needs iron to make red blood cells that carry oxygen. Your tests show that your iron is low, which can help explain why you feel tired.” Pause to see whether the patient understands. Do not promise that every symptom is due to iron deficiency; if she raises a new concerning symptom, respond appropriately.

Does vegetarian food cause it?

Vegetarian diets can include plenty of iron. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, dried fruit and iron-fortified cereals are examples. Iron from plants is less easily absorbed than iron from meat. Including a food rich in vitamin C with the meal, such as tomatoes or citrus fruit, can help the body absorb plant iron. Tea or coffee close to meals can reduce iron absorption. For Priya, a practical suggestion could be lentils with tomatoes and having tea later rather than with the meal—if that fits her routine. Do not tell her she must eat meat.

But the nurse must not decide that vegetarianism caused this patient’s anaemia. Other causes can include blood loss, such as heavy periods or bleeding from the digestive system, and problems absorbing iron. The clinician will consider her history and may arrange further tests. The patient can choose to discuss sensitive questions privately. The candidate should explain the reason for asking, not assume a cause from a single food preference.

What about iron tablets and follow-up?

Iron tablets are commonly used when iron-deficiency anaemia is confirmed. The type, dose and duration must follow the actual prescription and individual advice. They may cause constipation, stomach discomfort or darker stools. If side effects are troublesome, ask a GP or pharmacist about safe ways to manage them rather than simply stopping or changing the dose. The card has no prescribed tablet yet; do not announce that Priya is already taking one. Repeat blood tests help the team see whether her blood count and iron levels are improving. Treating a low result without checking its cause can miss an ongoing problem.

In plain English: “Your body is short of iron, which it uses to make blood cells that carry oxygen. That can explain your tiredness. A vegetarian diet can still provide iron. We can look at meals you already eat, and your GP will discuss treatment, possible causes and a repeat blood test with you.”

How to answer the five nurse tasks

1. Find the meaning of “everything.” Ask, “What changes are you afraid we might ask you to make?” Priya’s fear may be about giving up vegetarianism, not about every meal. Clarifying the word avoids an answer to a worry she did not have.
2. Explain the condition with one link. Low iron → less haemoglobin → oxygen carried less effectively → tiredness. Use short sentences and ask whether that matches what she has experienced. Do not give a long list of possible complications before she understands the basic result.
3. Build from her existing meals. Ask what she eats on shifts. When she mentions lentils and tea, affirm the lentils as an iron source and suggest adding tomatoes or fruit and moving tea away from that meal. Ask which change is practical for her. Avoid judging the whole diet from one example.
4. Discuss treatment honestly. Say that a clinician may recommend iron tablets after reviewing her results. Constipation is a possible side effect, and help is available if it occurs. Do not prescribe, specify an injection, or say she must take an exact number of tablets or months based on this card.
5. Give a reason for review. Explain that the GP may ask about possible causes and repeat blood tests to see whether treatment works. Check understanding: “What are the two things the next appointment will cover?” The answer is why iron is low and how to treat and monitor it.

Model response from the nurse’s viewpoint

A connected nurse response, not a fixed dialogue. Pause at each question so the patient can answer and change direction if new information arises.

“Priya, you have been tired for weeks, and I can understand why a new word like ‘anaemia’ feels worrying. What have you been told about the blood result, and what did you mean when you said you might have to change everything? ... I hear that being vegetarian is important to you. I am not asking you to eat meat. Let me explain the result first, then we can look at food and treatment in a way that fits your life.”

“Your body uses iron to make haemoglobin in red blood cells. Haemoglobin helps carry oxygen around your body. Your GP has confirmed that your iron is low enough to cause anaemia, and that can help explain the tiredness. It is a condition we can treat, but we also need to understand why the iron is low. What part of that explanation would you like me to go over?”

“Could you tell me what a normal meal looks like when you are on a late shift? ... Lentils are a useful vegetarian source of iron, so you already eat something that helps. You might try adding tomatoes to that meal or fruit rich in vitamin C alongside it. Tea close to food can make it harder to absorb iron, so perhaps you could have the tea a little later if that works for you. I would rather find one change you can keep than tell you to change every meal. Which of those suggestions sounds manageable?”

“You asked about iron tablets and constipation. The GP may recommend an iron supplement after going through your result, and constipation or stomach upset can happen. If you are prescribed it and find it difficult to take, tell the GP or pharmacist so they can advise you; please do not guess a different dose from a general blog. You have not been given a prescription in this card, so I cannot tell you exactly how many tablets or for how long. The GP will also ask questions to check why the iron is low. Diet can play a part, but it is not the only possible cause. If there are personal questions, we can make sure you have privacy for that discussion.”

“A repeat blood test may be arranged to see whether your levels improve. Before we finish, could you tell me what anaemia means in your own words, one food change you might try, and what you want to ask at the GP review? ... Yes: the next step is to discuss the cause, the treatment plan and when the blood should be rechecked. You do not have to abandon your vegetarian diet. Is there another concern about the result that we have not addressed?”

Speaking tips for explaining a new diagnosis

• Use the patient’s word first. “Everything” is vague. Ask what it means before offering advice.
• Link the condition to her symptom. A simple oxygen explanation helps the patient connect anaemia and tiredness.
• Respect her diet. Work with foods she eats rather than treating vegetarianism as a mistake.
• Separate general education from prescribing. Explain possible iron tablets and side effects, but leave dose and duration to her clinician.
• Explain follow-up as a purpose. “We need to find the cause and check improvement” is more useful than “Come back for bloods.”

Model communication sentences to practise aloud

• “What did the word ‘anaemia’ mean to you when you heard it?”
• “Your body needs iron to make blood cells that carry oxygen.”
• “You can get iron from vegetarian foods such as lentils, beans and fortified cereals.”
• “What do you normally eat on a late shift?”
• “Taking tea at a different time from an iron-rich meal may help you absorb more iron.”
• “If iron tablets cause side effects, tell your GP or pharmacist so you can get individual advice.”
• “What will the next blood test help us find out?”

Try two or three sentences in your own voice. The aim is a conversation, so wait for the answer before adding another explanation.

Common mistakes and clearer alternatives

A complete practice task and one changed answer

First attempt: Give the patient card to a partner, prepare for three minutes and record a five-minute role-play. Listen back. Did you ask what “change everything” meant? Did you explain anaemia in short sentences? Did you use a food Priya actually named? Did you answer the tablet concern without inventing a dose? Did Priya understand why the cause and repeat blood test matter?

Second attempt: Ask the patient partner to answer your diet question differently: “I already eat beans every day, but I’ve noticed blood in my stools.” Now food advice cannot be the whole response. Acknowledge this new information and arrange prompt clinical assessment rather than continuing the prepared vegetarian meal speech. Good practice means listening for a fact that changes the next step.

Revision: Explain the case in three short points without looking: what iron does, one realistic food example, and why the GP review matters. Ask your partner to repeat them. Work on the one point they cannot recall, then try the full role-play again.

Explore OET Speaking for Nurses — Course 13 for more condition-based speaking scenarios. Online one-to-one OET students can propose dates and times around busy shifts, subject to tutor availability.

This original exercise is independent of OET and does not predict an official score. Clinical information was checked against NHS iron-deficiency anaemia guidance, NHS vegetarian diet guidance and NHS iron-medicine information. Real treatment requires review of the person’s results and history.

Source: OET NUR SP 100.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.