Free say-and-do preparation
Discharge education conversation checklist.
A spoken preparation checklist for patient communication. Use it to organise explanations and questions before your next rehearsal.
Last checked 2026-10-30 · NMBA exam information · RN Standards for Practice
How to use this checklist
Read the fictional task first. Work through each prompt out loud, using only the information supplied. Where a clinical detail is missing, say what you need to clarify rather than inventing it.
Ask what the person understands and what worries them about home.
“What feels least clear about going home?”
Explain the supplied care plan in manageable parts.
“Let us go through one part of the care plan at a time.”
Use teach-back and clarify who to contact about concerns.
“To check that I explained it clearly, how will you manage this at home?”
Confirm follow-up, support and the documented handover.
“Before you leave, let us confirm your follow-up and who you can contact.”
Check your explanation
- Find out what the person already understands and what concerns them.
- Explain in manageable parts and use teach-back without testing or blaming.
- Use an appropriate interpreter when needed and involve supporters with permission.
Watch for these omissions
- Using clinical jargon after the person signals confusion.
- Speaking only to a relative when the patient can participate.
- Mistaking a polite nod for informed understanding.
Connect it to a scenario
Practise discharge education, a conversation with an anxious relative or explaining an unfamiliar procedure. Ask about language, access and cultural needs rather than making assumptions.
Repeat with a different fictional situation to check that your explanation responds to the task rather than a memorised script. Review the current ACSQHC Communicating for Safety Standard and RN Standards for Practice alongside supervised skills training.