Nursing — Referral to Physiotherapy for Post-Operative Mobilisation
A ward nurse refers a 58-year-old woman on day 2 post-total knee replacement to physiotherapy for an early mobilisation assessment. This is a clean beginner referral: one clear clinical reason, a brief functional baseline, and two specific requests — ideal for practising inter-professional letter format before tackling complex surgical cases.
Letter type
Referral
Write to
Physiotherapist
Target length
180–200 words
The case notes
Patient: Mrs Sandra McBride, 58 years old
Procedure: Right total knee replacement under spinal anaesthesia — day 2 post-operation; uncomplicated
Vital signs: Stable; afebrile; SpO2 98% on air; wound drain removed this morning
Current mobility: Sitting out in chair; transferred with standby assistance of two; has not yet attempted walking
Pain: Moderate pain on movement; NRS 6/10 at rest; on regular paracetamol, ibuprofen and PRN oramorph; pain being managed adequately for supervised mobilisation
VTE prophylaxis: Enoxaparin 40 mg OD; TED stockings in place
Knee dressing: Dry and intact; wound review by nurse tomorrow
Goal: Aim to mobilise to the bathroom and negotiate stairs before discharge, which is planned for day 4–5
Task: Write a referral letter to the physiotherapy team requesting an assessment and mobilisation plan for Mrs McBride.
Writing task
Write a referral letter to the physiotherapy team requesting an assessment and mobilisation plan for Mrs McBride.
What to include, what to cut
The hardest mark to win is selection. The same case notes contain decision-relevant facts and distractors. Here is what an examiner expects to see in a Grade B letter for this scenario, and what should be left out.
Include
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The procedure and that it was uncomplicated — day 2 post-op
The physiotherapist needs the surgical context and the post-operative day to calibrate their mobilisation approach. Day 2 after an uncomplicated TKR has a standard physiotherapy expectation.
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Current mobility status: transfers with standby assistance, has not yet walked
The physiotherapist's baseline. Without knowing where she starts, they cannot set appropriate goals or choose the right walking aid.
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Pain is being managed adequately for supervised mobilisation
Signals to the physiotherapist that pain is not a barrier to starting — an important green light that affects their scheduling priority.
Leave out
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VTE prophylaxis details
Routine post-operative care that the physiotherapist does not need to action. It is part of the nursing care plan, not the physiotherapy referral.
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The exact analgesic regimen
State that pain is managed adequately; the specific drugs and doses are the nursing team's domain. The physiotherapist needs the functional implication, not the prescription.
Criterion in focus · Organisation & Layout
A beginner nursing referral is a strong place to practise the three-part structure: (1) who the patient is and why you are writing, (2) the clinical picture and current status, (3) the specific request. Marking notes when the specific request — an assessment and mobilisation plan — appears before the clinical picture, or is buried in the middle.
Now write the letter — and find out what is blocking your Grade B
Write a 180–200 words referral letter from these notes, paste it into the free checker for an instant read, then submit it for a human grade against all six criteria. Dr Mariam's team returns line-by-line feedback, from $12.