English for nurses: the words, phrases and situations that matter
Built from WordSlick’s nurse role pack: the vocabulary you must be able to say (not just recognise), the phrases that carry a meeting or an interview, and the situations you can rehearse with the AI tutor.
Situations to rehearse
Patient intake
A new patient arrives on the ward, anxious and in pain. You talk to the patient. Goal: Take a clear history and reassure them.
Shift handover
End of shift; you hand three patients to the incoming nurse. You talk to the incoming nurse. Goal: Give a structured handover with the one thing to watch.
Escalating to the doctor
A patient is deteriorating and the doctor on call is busy. You talk to the doctor on call. Goal: State the situation, the vitals and what you need, in order.
Talking to the family
A worried relative wants answers you cannot fully give. You talk to the patient’s daughter. Goal: Explain what you can, set expectations and stay warm.
Nursing interview
An interview for a ward position in an English-speaking hospital. You talk to the ward manager. Goal: Answer two competency questions with a clear example each.
Phrases that carry the conversation
- “I am going to check your blood pressure now…”
- “On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain?…”
- “Are you allergic to any medication?…”
- “I am escalating this to the doctor on call…”
- “The patient is stable but needs observation…”
- “Can you tell me when the symptoms started?…”
- “This may feel uncomfortable for a moment…”
- “I am handing over three patients from the night shift…”
- “I need to double-check the dosage before I give this…”
- “Please let me know if anything changes…”
Interview questions to practise out loud
- Describe a time you noticed a patient deteriorating. What did you do?
- How do you handle a patient who refuses medication?
- Tell me about a difficult handover and what you would improve.
- How do you prioritise when three patients need you at once?
- How do you explain a procedure to an anxious patient?
Tip: answer each question in under 90 seconds with one concrete example (situation, what you did, the result). Record it, listen once, and say it again. The second take is always better.
Vocabulary to own (30 words)
- handover
- intake
- vital signs
- blood pressure
- dosage
- medication
- allergy
- symptom
- discharge
- admission
- ward
- shift
- escalate
- deteriorate
- consent
- chart
- observation
- pain scale
- side effect
- prescription
- infection
- wound
- dressing
- referral
- follow-up
- reassure
- monitor
- urgent
- stable
- protocol
How WordSlick helps you prepare
- Set your moment as a mission: an interview, a meeting or a presentation, and its date.
- Daily sessions pace towards that date and bring these words and phrases into your practice.
- AskSlick plays the patient and corrects you gently, explaining in your own language.
- You see an estimated readiness for the moment, based on evidence from your practice.
Questions
What English do nurses need most?
Mostly speaking under pressure: patient intake, shift handover, escalating to the doctor. Vocabulary matters less than being able to produce clear, structured sentences in those moments.
How can I prepare for an English interview as a nurse?
Say your answers out loud to the questions on this page, record yourself, and fix one pattern at a time (tenses, articles, “since/for”). In WordSlick you can set the interview as a mission with a date and rehearse with the AI interviewer.