A patient with pneumonia who looks worse today
NZ nursing OSCE practice station
Vital signs · 2 min to read · 8 min to perform
Assess him, record a full set of observations and your assessment on the chart provided, and act on what the chart shows.
Thabo NkosiI don't feel good at all. Where am I? Is it morning?
Free · no sign-up · uses your one free station
Open the full station (charts, voice, result letter) →The task
You are the nurse on a medical ward. Thabo Nkosi, aged 61, was admitted yesterday with pneumonia. A health care assistant has asked you to see him because he looks worse. The national adult observation chart and the local escalation pathway are on the wall. Assess him, record a full set of observations and your assessment on the chart provided, and act on what the chart shows. Use ISBAR when you speak to the medical team, then explain to Mr Nkosi what is happening. You are not expected to prescribe.
What this station tests
- Score every set on the national chart. A total of 10 or more, or any vital sign in the blue zone, means a rapid response call.
- New confusion is a red-flag sign of deterioration.
- Use ISBAR with the observations and a clear request.
- Read back the plan, and flag the allergy before antibiotics are chosen.
- Stay with the patient, keep them informed and keep their whānau in the loop.
Sources for the clinical content
- Health Quality & Safety Commission: New Zealand early warning score and vital signs chart user guide
- Sepsis Trust New Zealand
- Healthify: sepsis
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.