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OET Nursing · Transfer Letter

Nursing Transfer Letter: Hip Fracture to Rehabilitation

An orthopaedic nurse transfers an older patient after hip fracture surgery to a rehabilitation unit, covering mobility, wound, pain, anticoagulation and confusion.

Task

Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to the Nurse Unit Manager of Greenhill Rehabilitation Unit, where Mrs Mendes is being transferred today.

Case notes

  • Mrs Rosa Mendes, 84, fell at home; right neck of femur fracture repaired with hemiarthroplasty 6 days ago.
  • Mobilising 10 m with a walking frame and one assist; partial weight-bearing as tolerated.
  • Wound clean and dry, clips due for removal on day 12 (in 6 days’ time).
  • Pain controlled with regular paracetamol; oxycodone 2.5 mg as needed, used once in last 24 h.
  • Enoxaparin 40 mg daily for 28 days post-op (22 doses remaining).
  • Brief post-operative confusion (days 2–3), now resolved; at risk of delirium. Wears hearing aids.
  • Lives alone; daughter visits daily. Pre-fracture: independent with a stick.
  • Admission bloods normal apart from mild dehydration, corrected. Enjoys crosswords.

Try it yourself first: five minutes to plan, 40 minutes to write, 180–200 words in the body of the letter.

Model answer

The Nurse Unit Manager
Greenhill Rehabilitation Unit
Greenhill Hospital
6 October 2026
Re: Mrs Rosa Mendes, aged 84
Dear Nurse Unit Manager, I am writing to transfer the care of Mrs Rosa Mendes, an 84-year-old woman who is moving to your unit today for rehabilitation following surgery for a right hip fracture. Mrs Mendes underwent a right hemiarthroplasty six days ago after a fall at home. She is currently mobilising ten metres with a walking frame and the assistance of one person, and may bear weight as tolerated. Her wound is clean and dry, and the clips are due to be removed in six days. Her pain is controlled with regular paracetamol, and she has required oxycodone 2.5 mg only once in the past 24 hours. She is receiving enoxaparin 40 mg daily, with 22 doses remaining. Please note that Mrs Mendes experienced brief post-operative confusion, which has now resolved; however, she remains at risk of delirium. She wears hearing aids, which should be in place to support communication. Before the fall, she lived alone and walked independently with a stick. Her daughter visits daily and is keen to be involved in discharge planning. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely, Registered Nurse Orthopaedic Ward

Body word count: 185 (target 180–200, excluding the address, date, salutation and sign-off).

Why this letter works

Purpose

Opens with the transfer and its reason — rehabilitation after a hip fracture — so the reader knows immediately what the letter is for.

Content

Mobility status, weight-bearing, wound and clip date, analgesia, anticoagulation doses left and delirium risk are all actionable for the receiving team.

Conciseness & Clarity

Corrected dehydration and hobbies are omitted; times are expressed relative to today so the reader doesn’t calculate.

Genre & Style

“Please note that…” flags a safety point politely and clearly — appropriate for a nurse-to-nurse handover.

Organisation & Layout

Clinical status first, then safety risks, then the pre-fracture baseline and family, which set the rehab goal.

What was left out — and why

  • Blood results that have already normalised.
  • Personal interests that don’t affect rehabilitation goals.

Now write your own — and get it graded

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