English for Healthcare Workers
Practical ward English for nurses, carers and healthcare assistants: greet patients, ask about pain, explain care simply, hand over clearly, and stay calm in difficult moments
Who it's for
Written for B1 (intermediate) students who handle everyday English and are ready for longer answers.
English for nurses, carers and clinical staff talking to patients. More Healthcare English lesson plans
Skills it practises
- Speaking: discussion questionsevery lesson
- Vocabulary: a target word listevery lesson
- Controlled practice: gap-fills, matching, sorting and moreevery lesson
- Reading: a text or news story4 of 5 lessons
- Role-play: a dialogue to act out4 of 5 lessons
- An answer framework to structure what they say2 of 5 lessons
- Listening: passages with questions2 of 5 lessons
Lessons
- Meeting Your PatientIntroduce yourself, check who the patient is, ask the basic admission questions, and make a nervous person feel safe57 minFree
- Describing Symptoms and PainUnderstand the everyday words patients really use, ask good follow-up questions, and use the pain scale with confidence1 hr 2 minOutline
- Explaining Care ClearlyExplain a routine procedure in plain English, check the patient really understood, and reassure without promising1 hr 3 minOutline
- Handover and NotesGive a short, ordered handover, write clear care notes, and report a change to a senior colleague without waffling1 hr 1 minOutline
- Difficult MomentsCalm an anxious patient, answer a worried family, say 'I don't know, I'll ask' professionally, and hold a boundary politely1 hr 7 minOutline
How to use it in a lesson
- Lessons run 57 to 67 minutes, with a timing on every stage, so you can see before you start what fits your slot.
- Start with "Meeting Your Patient": its whole plan is on this site, stage by stage, with the target vocabulary, free to read and to teach from on any video call.
- For a shorter slot, skip a practice stage or cut the discussion short: the stages are a guide, not a script.
Teach English for Healthcare Workers with your student
Lesson 1 of this course is free. A free account opens it in the interactive player, and the rest of the course is included with Starter. Teaching it live with your student in the Tuton classroom starts with a 7-day free trial.
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