IELTS Essay: Nurses

This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of nurses from the general training exam.

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IELTS Essay: Nurses

Nowadays nurses should not just be required to do basic training but they must have other qualities as well to do their jobs well.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some feel nurses need to learn more than just the basic requirements of their jobs in order to be effective. In my opinion, nursing indeed requires a wide range of skills.

Detractors point out the essential role of a nurse can be streamlined. There are many countries where nurses undergo some fairly simple vocational training and are then considered qualified professionals. Most only need to perform limited basic tasks such as taking blood, checking vitals, monitoring patients, and referring urgent matters to doctors. For a hospital purely concerned with optimising profits, it makes sense that they would train nurses to a minimum standard and pay lower salaries, with the expectation of high turnover. As long as nurses can perform certain discrete skills, there is no incentive to invest more in their training.

In practice, however, nurses occupy roles outside than their literal job description. In most hospitals, nurses spend a lot of time double checking the medicines doctors are administering, learning new procedures, and counseling patients. The patients likely communicate more with nurses than busy doctors and therefore rely on them not only for medical advice but also psychological support. These emotional tasks, in my opinion, justify increased training. Even though this will not have a clearly measurable outcome, it will result in nurses who are better equipped to deal with a variety of situations and patients who do not feel like customers buying their health from a corporation.

In conclusion, despite legitimate concerns related to its value, it is crucial nurses be capable of taking on a number of roles. This will have benefits not only for the nurses themselves but also their patients and society at large.

Analysis

1. Some feel nurses need to learn more than just the basic requirements of their jobs in order to be effective. 2. In my opinion, nursing indeed requires a wide range of skills.

1. Paraphrase the essay topic.
2. Write a clear opinion. Learn more about writing your introduction here.

1. Detractors point out the essential role of a nurse can be streamlined. 2. There are many countries where nurses undergo some fairly simple vocational training and are then considered qualified professionals. 3. Most only need to perform limited basic tasks such as taking blood, checking vitals, monitoring patients, and referring urgent matters to doctors. 4. For a hospital purely concerned with optimising profits, it makes sense that they would train nurses to a minimum standard and pay lower salaries, with the expectation of high turnover. 5. As long as nurses can perform certain discrete skills, there is no incentive to invest more in their training.

1. Write a clear topic sentence with your main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea.
3. Add in specific detail.
4. Use a hypothetical or real example.
5. State the results of the example.

1. In practice, however, nurses occupy roles outside than their literal job description. 2. In most hospitals, nurses spend a lot of time double checking the medicines doctors are administering, learning new procedures, and counseling patients. 3. The patients likely communicate more with nurses than busy doctors and therefore rely on them not only for medical advice but also psychological support. 4. These emotional tasks, in my opinion, justify increased training. 5. Even though this will not have a clearly measurable outcome, it will result in nurses who are better equipped to deal with a variety of situations and patients who do not feel like customers buying their health from a corporation.

1. Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
2. Explain your new main idea.
3. Develop it with specific examples.
4. Vary your long and short sentences.
5. Conclude with the further possible results and a strong statement.

1. In conclusion, despite legitimate concerns related to its value, it is crucial nurses be capable of taking on a number of roles. 2. This will have benefits not only for the nurses themselves but also their patients and society at large.

1. Summarise your main ideas and repeat your opinion.
2. Add a final thought/detail. Read more about conclusions here.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean?

Some feel nurses need to learn more than just the basic requirements of their jobs in order to be effective. In my opinion, nursing indeed requires a wide range of skills.

Detractors point out the essential role of a nurse can be streamlined. There are many countries where nurses undergo some fairly simple vocational training and are then considered qualified professionals. Most only need to perform limited basic tasks such as taking blood, checking vitals, monitoring patients, and referring urgent matters to doctors. For a hospital purely concerned with optimising profits, it makes sense that they would train nurses to a minimum standard and pay lower salaries, with the expectation of high turnover. As long as nurses can perform certain discrete skills, there is no incentive to invest more in their training.

In practice, however, nurses occupy roles outside than their literal job description. In most hospitals, nurses spend a lot of time double checking the medicines doctors are administering, learning new procedures, and counseling patients. The patients likely communicate more with nurses than busy doctors and therefore rely on them not only for medical advice but also psychological support. These emotional tasks, in my opinion, justify increased training. Even though this will not have a clearly measurable outcome, it will result in nurses who are better equipped to deal with a variety of situations and patients who do not feel like customers buying their health from a corporation.

In conclusion, despite legitimate concerns related to its value, it is crucial nurses be capable of taking on a number of roles. This will have benefits not only for the nurses themselves but also their patients and society at large.

Answers

basic requirements minimum needed

effective works

nursing indeed being a nurse does in fact

wide range of skills lots of different abilities

detractors critics

point out argue

the essential role crucial part

streamlined simplified

undergo go through

fairly simple vocational training mostly basic training for a job

considered qualified professionals regarded as real nurses

perform limited basic tasks do a small number of jobs

taking blood extracting blood with a needle

checking vitals making sure their hear rate, blood pressure, etc. are ok

monitoring patients looking after sick people

referring urgent matters telling doctors about emergencies

purely concerned only care about

optimising profits making the most money possible

makes sense is logical

minimum standard least required

pay lower salaries not give much money to

expectation what one thinks will happen

high turnover lots of people changing jobs

as long as so far as

perform certain discrete skills can do specific tasks

no incentive no reason to

invest more put more money into

in practice in reality

occupy take on

outside beyond

literal job description strict demands of the job

double checking re-checking/verifying

administering giving

procedures processes, tasks

counseling giving therapy

rely need

medical advice suggestions about their health

psychological support emotional help

emotional tasks psychological jobs

justify a reason for it

clearly measurable outcome definite effect

result in leads to

better equipped better prepared for

deal with cope with

variety of situations many contexts

despite legitimate concerns regardless of real worries

related to having to do with

value importance

crucial essential

taking on also having to do

not only not just

but also including

at large all of it

Pronunciation

ˈbeɪsɪk rɪˈkwaɪəmənts 
ɪˈfɛktɪv
ˈnɜːsɪŋ ɪnˈdiːd 
waɪd reɪnʤ ɒv skɪlz
dɪˈtræktəz 
pɔɪnt aʊt 
ði ɪˈsɛnʃəl rəʊl 
ˈstriːmlaɪnd
ˌʌndəˈgəʊ 
ˈfeəli ˈsɪmpl vəʊˈkeɪʃənl ˈtreɪnɪŋ 
kənˈsɪdəd ˈkwɒlɪfaɪd prəˈfɛʃənlz
pəˈfɔːm ˈlɪmɪtɪd ˈbeɪsɪk tɑːsks 
ˈteɪkɪŋ blʌd
ˈʧɛkɪŋ ˈvaɪtlz
ˈmɒnɪtərɪŋ ˈpeɪʃənts
rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ ˈɜːʤənt ˈmætəz 
ˈpjʊəli kənˈsɜːnd 
ˈɒptɪmaɪzɪŋ ˈprɒfɪts
meɪks sɛns
ˈmɪnɪməm ˈstændəd 
peɪ ˈləʊə ˈsæləriz
ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃən 
haɪ ˈtɜːnˌəʊvə
æz lɒŋ æz 
pəˈfɔːm ˈsɜːtn dɪsˈkriːt skɪlz
nəʊ ɪnˈsɛntɪv 
ɪnˈvɛst mɔː 
ɪn ˈpræktɪs
ˈɒkjʊpaɪ 
ˌaʊtˈsaɪd 
ˈlɪtərəl ʤɒb dɪsˈkrɪpʃən
ˈdʌbl ˈʧɛkɪŋ 
ədˈmɪnɪstərɪŋ
prəˈsiːʤəz
ˈkaʊns(ə)lɪŋ 
rɪˈlaɪ 
ˈmɛdɪkəl ədˈvaɪs 
ˌsaɪkəˈlɒʤɪkəl səˈpɔːt
ɪˈməʊʃənl tɑːsks
ˈʤʌstɪfaɪ 
ˈklɪəli ˈmɛʒərəbl ˈaʊtkʌm
rɪˈzʌlt ɪn 
ˈbɛtər ɪˈkwɪpt 
diːl wɪð 
vəˈraɪəti ɒv ˌsɪtjʊˈeɪʃənz 
dɪsˈpaɪt lɪˈʤɪtɪmɪt kənˈsɜːnz 
rɪˈleɪtɪd tuː 
ˈvæljuː
ˈkruːʃəl 
ˈteɪkɪŋ ɒn 
nɒt ˈəʊnli 
bʌt ˈɔːlsəʊ 
æt lɑːʤ

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

Some feel nurses need to learn more than just the b______________________s of their jobs in order to be e____________e. In my opinion, n_______________d requires a w_______________________s.

D____________s p_______________t t____________________e of a nurse can be s_______________d. There are many countries where nurses u_____________o some f_______________e v______________________g and are then c_____________________________________s. Most only need to p____________________________s such as t________________d, c________________s, m_______________________s, and r_____________________________s to doctors. For a hospital p___________________d with o_______________________s, it m_____________________e that they would train nurses to a m__________________________d and p______________________s, with the e_________________n of h_____________________r. A_______________s nurses can p______________________________s, there is n_________________e to i________________e in their training.

I_________________e, however, nurses o________y roles o_________e than their l__________________________n. In most hospitals, nurses spend a lot of time d_______________________________g the medicines doctors are a__________________g, learning new p_________________s, and c_______________g patients. The patients likely communicate more with nurses than busy doctors and therefore r___y on them not only for m______________e but also p_______________________t. These e__________________s, in my opinion, j________y increased training. Even though this will not have a c___________________________e, it will r____________n nurses who are b__________________________d to d____________h a v_____________________s and patients who do not feel like customers buying their health from a corporation.

In conclusion, d____________________________s r______________o its v________e, it is c____________l nurses be capable of t___________n a number of roles. This will have benefits n__________y for the nurses themselves b_________o their patients and society a_________e.

Listening Practice

Watch the video below to learn more about this topic and use these activities to practice:

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic here and practice with these ideas:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/im-nurse-teachers-should-do-their-jobs-like-i-did/614902/

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:

Health

1. How can people improve their physical health?
2. What about their mental health?
3. In what ways can teachers encourage students to do sports?
4. What is the role of doctors in raising health awareness?
5. Can social media also play a role?

Writing Practice

Write about the related topic below and then check with my sample answer:

Many people believe that every individual is responsible for his/her own healthy lifestyle. Others believe that governments should take care of it.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Health Problems Individuals/Governments (Real IELTS Exam)