OSCE Test

Heart failure review and self-management teaching
RCSI OSCE practice station

Counselling & explanation · 1 min to read · 10 min to perform

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Check his observations and weight against his discharge weight, then teach him how to look after himself, including daily weights, diet, medicines and when to seek help.

Mr Seamus DoyleHello nurse. I'm grand, really, I just came because they told me to.

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The task

You are the nurse in a cardiology outpatient clinic. Mr Seamus Doyle, aged 71, was discharged twelve days ago after an admission with heart failure and has come for his first review. He lives alone. Introduce yourself, confirm his identity, and review how he is managing at home. Check his observations and weight against his discharge weight, then teach him how to look after himself, including daily weights, diet, medicines and when to seek help. Check that he has understood. Decide what must be reported today and record the review in the note provided.

What this station tests

  • Compare today's weight with the discharge weight; a gain with swelling needs same-day review.
  • Ask about over-the-counter medicines; non-steroidal painkillers can worsen heart failure and harm the kidneys when taken with ramipril and a water tablet.
  • Teach a specific daily routine and a clear threshold for contacting the team.
  • Use teach-back and ask about living alone and supports.
  • Medicine information can be checked with the pharmacist or HPRA Find a Medicine.

Sources for the clinical content

An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.

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