OET pre-operative letter: writing to a surgical ward or pre-admission nurse
An OET Nursing letter before planned surgery should tell the receiving nurse who the patient is, which procedure is planned and when, and the information that changes their preparation: allergies, relevant conditions, medicines to stop or continue as the notes instruct, mobility, communication or anxiety needs, and support after discharge. Leave out history that has no effect on the operation or the hospital stay.
When you might write a pre-operative letter
Most OET practice letters are about discharge or referral. A pre-operative letter is a referral in the other direction: a community nurse, practice nurse or clinic nurse writes to the hospital before a planned (elective) operation. The aim is to help the receiving nurse prepare the patient safely and plan for discharge.
The referral letter guide covers the general shape. This article focuses on what changes when the operation has not yet happened.
What the receiving nurse needs
| Information | Why it matters to the reader | Example sentence (invented) |
|---|---|---|
| Procedure and date | They plan beds, staff and preparation | "Mrs Lund is scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on 6 June." |
| Allergies and past reactions | Patient safety in theatre and on the ward | "She is allergic to penicillin, which causes a rash." |
| Relevant conditions | They may need monitoring or a plan | "She has type 2 diabetes, managed with metformin." |
| Medicine instructions from the notes | Preparation and safety | "Her GP has advised her to stop aspirin seven days before surgery, as per the surgeon's instructions." |
| Mobility and equipment | Bed, transfers, physiotherapy | "She walks with a frame indoors." |
| Communication and anxiety | How to explain and consent | "She is very anxious about anaesthesia and asks for explanations in simple terms." |
| Home situation and post-discharge support | Discharge planning starts before admission | "She lives alone, but her daughter will stay with her for two weeks after surgery." |
Every example sentence is invented. Copy instructions from the case notes; never add a clinical instruction that is not there. For allergy wording, see allergies and adverse reactions.
What usually stays out
- Childhood illnesses and operations long ago with no current effect.
- Old, resolved problems (a sprained ankle five years ago).
- Detailed reasons the GP chose this surgeon.
- Normal routine test results, unless the task asks for them.
- Every hobby and the full family tree.
If you are unsure, ask: would a ward nurse prepare or care for this patient differently if they knew this? See case notes selection for the full method.
Paragraph plan
- Purpose: patient, procedure, date, and what you are asking for (for example, "to inform you of relevant information before her admission").
- Reason for surgery and relevant history: one or two sentences on the condition and other conditions that matter.
- Medicines and allergies: current medicines and any instructions given in the notes.
- Function, communication and concerns: mobility, sensory or language needs, anxiety.
- Social situation and discharge plan: who will support the patient after discharge.
- Request: what you would like the reader to do, and contact details if relevant.
Five or six short paragraphs is common. See organisation and layout for how paragraph order affects the reader.
Worked example (invented case)
Notes (invented): Mr Tomasz Weber, 68. Retired builder. Osteoarthritis right knee, pain limits walking to ~100 m. Scheduled: right total knee replacement, City Hospital, 14 May; admission 13 May. Hypertension — amlodipine daily. Allergy: codeine (vomiting). Hearing loss L ear, hearing aid. Worried about pain after surgery; previous bad experience. Lives with wife (75, frail). Bungalow, 2 steps at front door. Son lives 2 hours away, can visit weekends. Enjoys gardening. Ex-smoker, quit 2010.
Planning notes on selection:
- Keep: procedure and dates, codeine reaction, hypertension and amlodipine, hearing aid, pain anxiety, frail wife, steps at the front door.
- Shorten: walking distance (shows current function in a few words).
- Leave out: former job, gardening, smoking history (stopped long ago, no action stated).
Letter body:
I am writing to provide information about Mr Tomasz Weber, aged 68, who is scheduled to undergo a right total knee replacement on 14 May and is due to be admitted on 13 May.
Mr Weber has osteoarthritis of the right knee, and his pain currently limits his walking to about 100 metres. He also has hypertension, for which he takes amlodipine daily. Please note that he is allergic to codeine, which causes vomiting.
Mr Weber wears a hearing aid in his left ear, so he may need instructions repeated or given on his right side. He is anxious about pain after the operation because of a previous poor experience, and he would appreciate a clear explanation of how his pain will be managed.
He lives in a bungalow with his wife, who is frail and will not be able to help him physically. There are two steps at the front door. His son lives two hours away and can visit only at weekends.
I would be grateful if you could take these factors into account when planning his care and discharge, including an assessment of his home access.
Note the structure: the allergy is in the second paragraph with "Please note", so it stands out; the hearing and anxiety needs are together because both affect communication; the home situation leads directly into the request.
Useful phrases
| Purpose | Phrase |
|---|---|
| State the operation | "...who is scheduled to undergo / is due to have..." |
| Flag safety information | "Please note that..." / "Of note, ..." |
| Pass on a notes instruction | "As advised by the surgeon, she has stopped..." |
| Describe a need | "He may require assistance with..." / "She would benefit from..." |
| Request | "I would be grateful if you could take this into account when..." |
For polite request forms, see modal verbs and polite requests.
Common mistakes
- Writing as if the surgery has happened. Check tenses: "will undergo", not "underwent". See verb tenses in OET letters.
- Burying the allergy in the middle of a long history paragraph.
- Inventing instructions, such as fasting times or medicine changes not in the notes.
- Ignoring discharge planning. Home support matters even before admission.
- No request. End by saying what the reader should do with the information.
Practise and check
Practise a timed letter at /writing/, or check a letter you have written for an estimated grade and criterion-by-criterion feedback. medEmu covers OET Writing for Nursing only; its grades are estimates, and it is not affiliated with OET.
Related: post-operative discharge letters and the Purpose criterion.
Sources
This guide is medEmu's writing advice, not official OET guidance and not clinical advice; all patients, procedures and instructions are invented for practice, and a real letter must follow the case notes. The network used for this run could not reach oet.com, so no OET test facts are stated beyond the criterion names. For OET's official Writing information, see oet.com.