Do you find it difficult to express empathy in the OET Speaking exam?
Then watch this video where we show you how.
Hello I'm Jo from SLC, here to help you pass your OET exam. so in today's video we're going
to start looking at the Clinical Communication Criteria and specifically Relationship Building.
We will look at what this criterion actually means and how to improve in this area,
don't forget to check out our website we've got the perfect OET preparation course for you
the link's below, let's get started! What does relationship building mean? Well to
score highly in this area you need to begin with an appropriate introduction according to
the setting and situation given on the role play card, you also need to show a respectful attitude
throughout while remaining non-judgmental. It's also very important that you show lots of empathy.
So how can you improve in this area of your speaking? Let's take a look at how
to initiate the role play appropriately. Here we have an example of a home visit setting
and some information about the patient and the visit, how would you start this role play?
Let's have a look at this example. Hello Mr Jones. My name is Sam and I am the district
nurse. I’ve come to have a look at your ulcer. Is it ok if I come in?
The nurse demonstrates that they have understood the setting and have used the relevant information
from the card to begin appropriately. Let's have a look at some other examples.
Here we can see that the setting is a community health center,
if you have no information to suggest that you've seen the patient recently then you could start
the role play with something like this: Hello. My name is Sam and I am one of the community
nurses here. What’s brought you here today? Here we can see that the setting is the aged
care facility, if the setting and information on the roll card
suggests that the nurse knows the patient or carer then an appropriate introduction could be this:
Good morning. Nice to see you again. I understand you want to talk to me about your dad.
One way to demonstrate that you're showing a respectful attitude is
active listening, these can be phrases such as "mm hmm",
"okay", "yes, I see" and they help show the speaker that you are listening,
it is also important to minimize interruption and only interrupt politely if it's really necessary
for example, I’m sorry to interrupt you, I just wanted to check that I’ve understood correctly.
In the OET Speaking exam it's essential to show a non-judgmental attitude,
have a look at these phrases, how could you change them so that they are less judgmental?
So, your son cut himself on a knife right?
You must remember to take your medication. Don’t forget!
Stop smoking – you must! So, do you not have the best diet then?
Instead use an open question like this: Can you tell me how it happened?
By using an open question you can give the patient the opportunity to give their perspective and
the necessary information. Use empathy and then reassure, like this: I know it can be difficult
to remember to take the medication on time, but there are some things we could do to remind you.
In this example we can see that empathy is used first and reassurance that there is a solution
to the problem. If the patient is resistant, find a compromise by saying something like this:
You said it‘s been too difficult to stop smoking, but would you be willing to try
reducing the amount of cigarettes you smoke? In this example the nurse is summarising the
information that the patient has given and trying to find a compromise by involving the patient.
Don't make the patient feel judged, instead you could say:
Can you tell me about what you normally eat? In this last example we can see that an open
question is used to find information rather than leading the patient to an answer which
might make the patient feel bad or judged. It's important to demonstrate
empathy throughout your OET role play in the exam. Take a moment to look at this next extract from
an OET roll card and think about how you might demonstrate empathy from the very beginning.
Here's one way you might do it: Hello. My name is Sam and I am one of the nurses on duty today.
I can see from my notes that you were in a car accident.
That must have been very frightening. How are you feeling?
Here the nurse is demonstrating that they understand how the patient might be feeling.
Let's look at some different situations where you could demonstrate empathy,
look at these phrases said by a patient, how could you respond to them in an empathetic way?
I just woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t breathe! I mean,
I’ve never had an asthma attack before! I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been very
frightening as it was your first asthma attack. Her skin looks so badly burned, it looks so red!
I understand that you’re upset, but burns are common to the hands, arms and chest at this age…
It is a lot to take in, this new diagnosis. I don’t know how I will manage.
I can see this is very difficult for you. I am not sure about using the steroid
cream. I have heard it can be unsafe Many parents are worried about using
steroid creams for their child’s eczema and I can see that you have lots of concerns about it
So let's take a look at some things you can do to improve in this area.
Use your preparation time to analyse the role card effectively, all the
information that you need for an appropriate introduction will be on the role play card.
Many candidates feel nervous on the day of their exam but it's important to stay focused
and listen actively with minimal interruptions. Be confident in the language areas needed to
talk about sensitive topics so that you can show a respectful and attentive attitude.
It's really important to show empathy throughout the role play but also practice giving initial
empathy to help create a relationship with the patient from the very beginning.
It's a good idea to show a range of natural empathetic responses,
so build up a bank of useful phrases that you could use for empathising and reassuring.
Top tips for relationship building. Introductions,
use your preparation time wisely and start your role play appropriately and effectively.
Be empathetic, initially and throughout the role play. Listen and focus,
show the patient that you are listening and respond with active listening phrases.
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If you are preparing for your OET exam then check out our website and
see how we can help you pass your OET exam, see you next week, bye!