Research Paper on Victorian Era Architecture Essay Example

Research Paper on Victorian Era Architecture Essay Victorian Era Architecture Research Paper Introduction The Ireland architecture represents one of the most wonderful features of the Irish countryside. There are houses that were built in different periods of time starting from the stone period abounding and up to the present day. Ireland is well-known for its castles that were built and unfortunately ruined during the Norman and Anglo-Irish period, for small white cottages and interesting buildings of the Georgian era and for Gothic and neo-Gothic cathedrals and buildings. Rococo houses of the countryside are magnificent and are uncomparable to anything else in Europe. In the 20th century owing to the new development of industry and economics there have appeared houses of new culture and design that defined a renaissance of Irish culture and design, placing Ireland’s towns at the cutting edge of the present architecture. In Ireland one can see the period of beautiful buildings of the great Georgian time for which Ireland is so famous. The Victorian period was one of urban expansion that is why Ireland’s towns and cities still have hundreds of thousands of Victorian houses. Victorian Ireland with its glorious gardens and ornate buildings attracts by its unique beauty. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Victorian Era Architecture specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Victorian Era Architecture specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Victorian Era Architecture specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We can write your architecture research paper from scratch! Ireland is a country with a unique heritage. It is sodden in culture and national traditions. Houses, Castles and Gardens of Ireland represent some of Ireland’s finest architectural jewels and cultural charms. 2. Georgian Ireland Georgian architecture is a style that was prominent in England and in Ireland in particular in the 18th century (Craig, Maurice, 1980, p.67). In the second half of the 18th century one of the most significant architects of Ireland was James Gandon from London. In 1781 Gandon arrived to Ireland at the invitation of Lord Carlow and John Beresford. Houses of Gandon’s architecture in Dublin contain the Four Courts, the Custom House, the King’s Inns and the eastern part of the Irish parliament building in College Green. The Georgian architecture is famous for its free style and absolute absence of strict rules of mathematical ratio and axis characteristic to the palladian style. During this style large parts of Dublin were built once again. The official residence of the President of Ireland by Francis Johnston Francis Johnston was one of the most prominent Irish architects of this era. Francis Johnston was working as an architect in the Board of Works at that period. That is why he was responsible for plans of new buildings of the Georgian Dublin period. He is also the author of many beautiful houses, such as Hardwicke Place, St. George’s Church and the Viveregal Lodge in the Phoenix Park. Nowadays the Viveregal Lodge is the official residence of the President of Ireland. There are some of the oldest and largest Georgian houses in Dublin at Henrietta Street. In the 19th century these houses served as blocks of flats for rent. Beside large houses, terraces and squares were a characteristic feature of the Georgian architecture. They were built near elegant houses and became a wonderful addition for family houses. In the 19th century many of these buildings became blocks of flats in Ireland. A significant part of them were destroyed according to slum clearance programmes in 20th century (Craig, Maurice, 1980, p.78). Nevertheless, in Dublin many buildings of that period stayed untouched, as well as squares and terraces. Squares that clearly demonstrate that epoch are Pery Square and Merrion Square. Other small cities of Ireland, such as Mountmellick and County Laois, have buildings of Georgian period. At the end of the reign of King George III the GPO, one of the most famous Georgian buildings of Ireland, was finished. It was finished in 1814 by Richard Johnston. The six columns that take a great hexastyle Doric portico are the most interesting feature of the building. The three statues – of Fidelity, Hibernia and Mercury are erected near the building. The building has halls with high ceilings and it has been rebuilt. 3. Victorian period In the 19th century as Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom. British architecture still influenced architecture styles in Ireland. Many famous Irish houses were built in Ireland during this time. They are: the Olympia Theatre, Findlater’s Church on Parnell Square, Royal City of Dublin Hospital, the Central Markets in Cork, the National Museum of Ireland, the Natural History Museum, the National Library of Ireland and the Natural Gallery of Ireland. Many of these new buildings were situated in the Southern part of Dublin, for example, in Baggot Street, Kildare Street and in the centre of Cork. It is interesting to know that nearly all the buildings were built in the major cities and only few were built in the provincial towns (Nathan, 2005, p.41). The Victorian period is famous for new statues that were erected in Dublin. These are the statues of Queen Victoria, Daniel O’Connell and Henry Grattan. The cathedral dedicated to St Patrick at Killarney is one of Ireland’s most beautiful Victorian buildings. This cathedral was built in a neo-gothic style. In other words, ‘Lancet arched Gothic’ that was called because it has long lancet shaped windows with sharp arches. One of the greatest of Victorian architects was August Pugin. He began building the cathedral in 1842 and was finished in 1855. The design of the cathedral is of Irish gothic (Nathan, 2005, p.56). The beautiful building is decorated with Sicilian marble and Caen stone and has a spire of 280 feet. At that period of time the only style suitable for religious worship, for cathedrals, was gothic style. August Pugin was the first architecture who helped to popularize the gothic style in Victorian Ireland. 4. The present day architecture In the 20th century, the Ireland architecture is characterized by sleek and often radical building styles. New building materials were used in order to make space bigger and to use light and energy efficiency (Becker, Wang, 1997, p.62). An important modification in Ireland’s architecture has happened during the last several years. The present day tendency is to build four, five and six story apartment and office buildings. 5. Conclusion The paper briefly analyzes Georgian and Victorian architecture, pointing out the major features that characterize this style. Besides, the paper gives an analysis of the present day architecture. References Eric Nathan (2005). Victorian London Lee Jackson, New Holland Publishers, 160 p. Becker, Annette, and Wilfried Wang (1997). 20th-century Architecture: Ireland. Prestel. Craig, Maurice (1980). Dublin 1660-1860. Allen Figgis. Davison, David, and Edward McParland (2001). A New Way of Building: Public Architecture in Ireland, 1680-1760. Yale University Press. Dennison, Gabriel, and Baibre Ni Fhloinn (1994). Traditional Architecture in Ireland. Royal Irish Academy. McCullough, Niall (1987). A Lost Tradition: The Nature of Architecture in Ireland. Gandon Editions.

Looks Can Be Deceiving Essays - Logic, Philosophy, Abstraction

Looks Can Be Deceiving Essays - Logic, Philosophy, Abstraction Looks Can Be Deceiving Looks Can Be Deceiving Paradoxes are sometimes composed of contradictory ideas presented together, ultimately leading to an unworkable situation. Paradoxes, however, are not simply ambiguous questions. Paradoxes are the essence of the inherent complexity of systems (Internet 1). Each paradox must be analyzed and clearly understood before it can be explained. Since mathematics is, in a sense, a universal language, certain paradoxes and contradictions have arisen that have troubled mathematicians, dating from ancient times to the present. Some are false paradoxes; that is, they do not present actual contradictions, and are merely slick logic tricks. Others have shaken the very foundations of mathematics requiring brilliant, creative mathematical thinking to resolve. Others remain unresolved to this day, but are assumed to be solvable. One recurring theme concerning paradoxes is that each of them can be solved to some degree of satisfaction, but are never completely conclusive. In other words, new answers wil l likely replace older ones, in an attempt to solidify the answer and clarify the problem. A paradox can be defined as an unacceptable conclusion derived by apparently acceptable reasoning from apparently acceptable premises. This essay provides an introduction to a range of paradoxes and their possible solutions. In addition, a questionnaire was composed in order to demonstrate the extent of knowledge that the general population has pertaining to paradoxes. Paradoxes are useful things, despite their mind-boggling appearance. Generally, however, most paradoxes can be solved by searching for specific properties that they may contain. Therefore, if you try to describe a situation and you end up with a paradox (contradictory outcome), it usually means that the theory is wrong, or the theory or the definitions break down along the way. Also, it is possible that the situation cannot possibly occur, or the question may simply be meaningless for some other reason. Any of these possibilities are relevant, and if you exhaust all the possible interpretations, one of them should prove to be incorrect (Internet 1). The following type of paradox is called Simpsons Paradox. This paradox involves an apparent contradiction, because when the data are presented one way, one particular conclusion is inferred. However, when the same data are presented in another form, the opposite conclusion results. Paradox 1: Acceptance Percentages for College A and College Chart 1 Section A Section B Accepted Rejected Total Percent Accepted Accepted Rejected Total Percent Passing Women 400 250 650 61% 50 300 350 14% Men 50 25 75 67% 125 300 425 29% Total 450 275 725 175 600 775 As is evident in Chart 1, when the data are presented in two separate tables, it looks as if men are accepted more often than women, because in each case (College A and College B), men are accepted at a higher ratio than women. However, when the same data are combined into one table (Chart 2), a contradicting result is implied. Acceptance Percentage Totals for the University Chart 2 Accepted Rejected Total Percent Accepted Women 450 550 1000 45% Men 175 325 500 35% Total 625 875 1500 This table shows women actually having a higher overall acceptance rate than men. This is an example of Simpsons Paradox because it involves misleading data. Obviously, the presentation of the data is very important, and can lead to incorrect assumptions if the data are not used properly (Internet 2). Paradox 2: An Arrow in Flight One can imagine an arrow in flight, toward a target. For the arrow to reach the target, the arrow must first travel half of the overall distance from the starting point to the target. Next, the arrow must travel half of the remaining distance. For example, if the starting distance was 10m, the arrow first travels 5m, then 2.5m. If one extends this concept further, one can imagine the resulting distances getting smaller and smaller. Will the arrow ever reach the target? (Internet 3) The answer is, of course, yes the arrow will reach the target. Our common sense tells us so. But, mathematically, this fact can be proven because the sum of an infinite series can be a finite number. The question contains a premise, which implies that the infinite series will result in an infinite number. Thus, 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ... = 1 and the arrow hits the target (Internet 3). Paradox 3: Two Equals

How a Top Startup Consultant Turned a Blog into his Debut Book

How a Top Startup Consultant Turned a Blog into his Debut Book How a Top Startup Consultant Turned his Blog into his Debut Book In the first season of Reedsy’s podcast, Bestseller, host Casimir Stone followed a single author’s journey from idea to publication. In the coming months, Stone will be releasing a series of one-off episodes (or addendums, to keep with the publishing theme). The first of these episodes has just dropped, and it features Bretton Putter: a London-based expert on â€Å"startup and high-growth company culture.† A great listen for all aspiring non-fiction writers, Putter’s story also contains a lot of the lessons we’ve gathered from other authors over the years. Namely, the value of writing a book to boost your professional authority, and the benefits (and pitfalls) of turning a blog into a book.And if you haven’t had the change to listen to the full first season of Bestseller, now’s your chance. Enjoy the show!If you have any suggestions for the kinds of authors we should be featuring in these one-off podcast episodes, just leave them in the comments below.

Legal Framework in Employment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Legal Framework in Employment - Case Study Example The duration of effect is equally valid, considering that in Romero Insurance Brokers Ltd v Templeton [2013] EWHC 1198 (QB), the High Court validated a 12-month duration for enforcing a restrictive terms in the employment agreement (Meiners, Ringleb, & Edwards, 2011). However, unlike in Monster Vision UK Ltd v McKie [2011] EWHC 3772 (QB) where restrictive clauses seeking to disbar Mr McKie from virtually any business transaction were disallowed by court, restricting Angela’s use of the unique recipe is reasonably essential in the circumstances to safeguard the Stella Diamond’s single product (Helewitz, 2010). Stella Diamond has expressed reasonable concern that the use of her traditional recipe within the neighbourhood can have damaging impacts on her business. Angela as a senior pastry chef holds a senior position in the business and as such she is very aware of the material business secrets, which can have a detrimental impact on Stella Diamond if the restrictive clause was, disallowed (Meermann, 2014). In Faccenda Chicken Ltd. v. Fowler [1987] IRLR 69 the defendant was an employee of the claimant, serving as the sales manager of the firm selling chickens. His contract of employment was terminated and he then established his own firm selling similar products from refrigerated trucks. He took half of the ten van salesmen of his former employer, their controller, two other office staff and majority of his former employer’s customers. As such, his actions seemed legal because none of the employer’s staffs had restrictive terms in their employment contracts (Kessler, Bass, & Yeargain, 2007). However, in its decision, the court said the respondent owed the appellant an implied duty to act in good faith, specifying that the duty will be breached if an employee uses, in any way, the same list of clients of the former employer upon termination of the employment. General restrictions on ex-employees were however held as unenforceable (Meiners,

I phone5 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

I phone5 - Research Paper Example Featuring of an architectural website, Dezeen, in the launch video of i phone5 focuses on the variance and depth of new promotional partnerships between different category products such as Apple Inc. and Dezeen, an architecture, interiors and design company website. Apple Inc. has given huge promotional leverage to Dezeen in the videos, thus, marking a new chapter of relational linking by entering into collaboration with the architecture magazine. It highlights how LTE technology offers â€Å"really fast downloads over your cellular network†. Marketing of Apple has always been a hush-hush matter. Apple contacted Dezene a year back for a customised version of its website with no advertisements and social media links without disclosing its strategy to the management of Dezeen (Golson, September 2012). The tie-up between Apple i phone5 and Dezeen magazine on architecture, interiors and design by showing the home page of the company website on the promotional videos, on the occasi on of the launch of its latest i phone5 version has huge management and functional implications for the architectural company. It offers a trade-off to the viewer of purchasing a superior quality product although it won’t be a decision taken at once, as the ad viewer would analyse the future cost and quality trajectory of the magazine in the category it belongs to. If the consumer wants to replace the product, as in this case, the decision will be taken by comparing it with the currently owned and subscribed magazine and other available magazines on architecture and design in the market. If after visiting the Dezeen company website through the Apple i phone5 link given on the email of the user, it reveals that the difference in quality is tangibly and intangibly significant relative to the cost of the architectural magazine, the possibility of replacing the current magazine with Dezeen increases. It means increase in the sale of Dezeen product. Thus, purchase decision depends , as per general modelling related to replacement. In the case of i phone5 and Dezeen, both the products are not complimentary as they are un-related. Therefore, the purchase decision in one category, i.e., the Dezeen, would not be impressed by the purchase decision in another category, i.e., the Apple company’s newly launched i phone5 (Sriram et al., 2010). Nevertheless, if the products in both the categories have been purchased, the incentive to replace them with the latest versions, as in the case of Apple i phone5, the consumer decision is going to be taken on the quality parameter only; the higher the quality, the more inspired the decision for replacement. Consumer leverage would be more if both the products are replaced relatively to a single category product replacement (Sriram et al., 2010). Anyways, the great thing for an architecture website is that a technology giant like Apple has contacted it for sharing business leverage mutually through an email link to the we bsite address for the visitor to surf the pages of the magazine compelling the viewer to take a better decision after analysing the trade-off. As per the general model for replacement, if two

Terri Schiavo :: essays research papers

The end of life is inevitable. For most it is for seen and understood what ones final wishes are. Living wills provide those issues in question with answers. What if an individual does not have a living will? Who would be in charge in making final decisions for someone who cannot physically make those decisions? The story of Terri Schiavo brings about many questions that represents moral, ethical, and legal issues. Terri Schiavo collapsed in her home on February 25, 1990. She suffered cardiac arrest and anoxic brain damage. The lack of oxygen to the brain caused major brain damage. The cerebral cortex had been completely destroyed and replaced by cerebrospinal fluid. Her upper brain was estimated to be about 80 percent destroyed. However her brainstem, which is responsible for breathing and heartbeat, was still functioning properly. This allowed Schiavo to survive with the assistance of a feeding tube. Terri Schiavo was diagnosed to be in a Persistent Vegetative State (P.V.S). At the time of Terri Schiavo’s collapse, she was married to Michael Schiavo. Under Florida law, this made Michael Terri’s legal guardian. Terri also had the support of her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Michael Schiavo believed that his wife Terri would have never wanted to live life as a vegetable. Since Terri never had a living will, wishing to refuse medical treatment. Michael Schiavo is drawing his conclusion on conversations with his wife before the accident. After three years of ineffective therapy. Michael Schiavo petitioned to discontinue the life support for Terri. Her parents did not agree with Schiavo’s wishes. Bob and Mary Schindler have been battling with Michael Schiavo for over 10 years.

Developing Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Continuing Professional Development ?

Introduction The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has set out at least four domains of competencies for entry to the register in Adult Nursing. In this brief, I will focus on the second domain of communication and interpersonal skills. Communication plays a crucial role in addressing the needs of the patients. Adult nurses are expected to communicate effectively, listen with empathy and advocate for their patients (Department of Health, 2012a, 2012b). Specifically, the Department of Health (Commissioning Board Chief Nursing Officer and DH Chief Nursing Adviser, 2012) has introduced the 6 Cs of nursing, which encompasses compassion in nursing practice. Compassion in care is only possible when patients feel that their nurses understand their feelings and show empathy (Chambers and Ryder, 2009). Communication is essential in helping patients articulate their needs (Hall, 2005). Similarly, poor communication could result to misunderstanding, anxiety for the patients and poor quality of care (Chamb ers and Ryder, 2009). In this brief I will focus on the domain of communication and interpersonal skills since these form the foundation of my relationships with my patients. Developing my competency in this domain would help me identify both verbal and non-verbal messages of the patients and address their needs accordingly. Meanwhile, effective communication is needed when I communicate with my colleagues and other healthcare practitioners. A focus on my communication skills with my patients will be made in this reflective brief. Communicating effectively with my patients and other health and social care professionals would help improve the care received by my patients. Benner’s (1984) stages of clinical competence would be used to underpin my development from novice to competent. Gibb’s (1988) reflective model will be utilised to reflect on my experiences in the last three years from novice to competent. Professional Development from Novice to Competent Level Reflective practice (Gibbs, 1988) allows healthcare practitioners to improve current practice by learning from incidents and one’s own experiences. Pearson et al. (2009) explains that one’s own experiences are another form of evidence in healthcare. With the focus on patient-centred care, the NHS (Department of Health, 2012b) has encouraged evidence-based care when addressing the needs of the patients. I will use Gibbs (1988) model in reflecting on my communication experiences in years 1 to 3. This model starts with a description of an incident followed by analysis, evaluation, conclusion and action plan. An incident during my year 1 exemplifies how I developed my communication and interpersonal skills as a novice. I was assigned to the mental health ward and assisted an elderly patient with dementia who was admitted for pneumonia. During his first day in the hospital, my senior nurse performed a nutritional assessment and informed me that I should assist the patient during feeding time. This was consistent with the Patient Mealtime Initiative (PMI) (NHS, 2007) implemented in our ward. As a student nurse, I would be assist the patient to self-feed and make his environment comfortable and uncluttered. During mealtime, I talked to the patient and informed him that I would assist him in eating his food. He stared at the wall and did not respond. I gently asked him if he was ready to eat. When he turned to me, I informed him that he could now start eating. He only stared at his food and did not seem to understand my instructions. I placed the utensils near his hand so he could grab it and eat. When he did not respond, I asked him if he wanted me to help him eat. After a few minutes, he got his spoon and held it for a few minutes. I began to realise that he did not seem to understand my instructions so I started to place the spoon with food in his mouth and gently touched his chin to remind him to chew his food. My senior nurse passed by and informed that I have to put some pressure on the patient’s chin and make some chewing motions to help remind him that he needs to chew his food. It took me an hour to feed my patient. On reflection, communicating with older patients with dementia could be a challenge. Most of these patients suffer from cognitive impairments, which make it difficult for them to communicate their feelings and concerns (NICE, 2006). A significant number of older patients with dementia who are admitted in hospital wards are underweight (World Health Organization, 2014). Jensen et al. (2010) explain that many of these patients have forgotten how to eat and chew their food while others lack cognitive abilities in understanding instructions on feeding. Hence, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2006) guideline on nutrition for older patients highlights the importance of assisting the patients during feeding. For patients in the advanced stages of dementia, the main aim of nutrition is to maintain hydration and comfort feeding. Meanwhile, some patients could also suffer from swallowing problems, making it more difficult to ingest food (Lin et al., 2010). The hospital ward environment is also new to older patients with dementia and might trigger anxiety and fear (Lin et al., 2010). Since patients are in unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar people, they might express their fears and anxieties through aversive behaviours (NICE, 2006). It is shown that nurses react negatively to aversive behaviours of older patients with dementia (Jensen et al., 2010). On reflection, the incident taught me to be more patient and to understand both verbal and non-verbal messages. It took some time for me to realise that I have to feed the patient since he appeared confused. I was also unprepared on how to communicate with an older patient with dementia. As a novice nurse, my feelings and apprehensions are normal and are also shared by other nurses (Cole, 2012; Murray, 2006). Best and Evans (2013) have shown that nurses feel unprepared to communicate and care for older patients with dementia. On reflection, I should continue with my professional develop ment by joining training and seminar on how to communicate with older patients with dementia and address their nutritional needs. When faced with a similar situation in the future, I am better prepared and would not need more supervision from senior nurses on how to communicate with older patients with dementia and address their needs. For instance, I am now aware that these patients have difficulty verbalising their needs and I have to be sensitive of non-verbal cues and interpret aversive behaviour as possible signs of distress, anxiety or fear (Best and Evans, 2013). The second incident occurred during year 2 in my placement in the Urology Department. At this stage, I already considered myself as an advanced beginner (Benner, 1984). I was assigned to care for a 45-year old male patient who was admitted due to testicular pain. I introduced myself to the patient and informed him that I was part of a team that would be caring for him during his hospital admission. I noticed that he was uncomfortable communicating with a student nurse and asked for a more senior nurse. I gently informed him that my senior nurse was supervising other student nurses and he was left to my care. I tried to communicate and noticed that he had difficulty with the English language. I asked him if he needed a language interpreter. Once an interpreter was identified and assisted me with communicating with my patient, I noticed a change in his behaviour. He began to open up and was willing to take his prescribed medications. I slowly understood that he was anxious about his co ndition and wanted a male nurse with the same ethnic background to be his nurse. When he realised that most of the nursing staff are composed of female nurses, he began to accept me as his nurse. On reflection, this incident illustrates the importance of taking into account individual differences and using communication strategies to understand the patient’s needs. Specifically, I became aware that he had difficulty with the English language. The act of getting an interpreter greatly improved our communication. One of the competencies stated under communication states that nurses should be able to use different communication strategies in order to identify and address the patient’s needs (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2010; National Patient Safety Association, 2009). It was apparent that the patient was self-conscious that a female nurse was addressing his needs. It is shown that a patient’s perception about his condition is also influenced by their cultural beliefs and ethnicity (Department of Health, 2012b). He was uncomfortable that a female nurse was providing care when he was suffering from testicular pain. However, the patient shares similar ethnic background as the interpreter and only became comfortable when the interpreter assured him that he could trust me. I realised that patients with different cultural background could be anxious about their treatment and might have difficulty communicating. On evaluation, I felt that I was able to address the immediate language barrier gap by getting an interpreter to help me communicate with the patient. My experiences during my first year in placement with patients who have different ethnic backgrounds and have difficulty expressing themselves in English helped me prepare for this situation. As Benner (1984) stated, nurses develop competency through experiences. I felt that I have improved on my communication skills and have achieved the advanced beginner level during year 2. Being sensitive to the communication needs of my patient is also consistent with the 6 Cs of nursing (Commissioning Board Chief Nursing Officer and DH Chief Nursing Adviser). In this policy paper, nurses are encouraged to show compassion in caring through effective communication. On analysis, I could have improved my communication skills by learning how to communicate with patients with different cultural beliefs about human sexuality. The patient was shy that a female nurse is part of the healthcare team managing his testicular pain. As part of my professional development and action plan, I will participate in training and seminars on how to communicate about health issues, such as testicular pain, that are considered sensitive and may carry some cultural taboo. The third incident happened during year 3, in my placement in the surgical ward for orthopaedic patients. At this stage, my previous experiences in communicating with patients during year 1 and 2 have helped me develop important communication skills. These included recognising non-verbal messages, understanding how culture influences my patients’ perceptions of nurses and the care they receive. Culture plays a crucial role in how patients place meanings on the words and symbols I use when communicating (Funnell et al., 2009). Apart from culture, I realised that the patient’s own perceptions of the illness and pain they are experiencing could also influence the quality of our communication. In the incident, I was assigned to assess the level of post-operative pain of a patient after surgical operation. He was a 32-year old male and was unable to communicate even after four hours of surgery. I tried to communicate with him to help assess his level of pain. Since he could not verbalise his level of pain, I used the visual analogue scale (VAS) to identify the level of pain. On analysis, I felt that I have done the right thing and have fulfilled one of the competencies under the domain of communication. Specifically, the NMC (2010) states that nurses should be able to use different communication strategies to support patient-centred care. The use of the VAS helped the patient articulate his level of pain. The VAS is often used as a tool in healthcare practice when assessing the patient’s level of pain. This tool is reliable and has been validated in different settings (Fadaizadeh et al., 2009). On analysis, my personal experiences in the last three years helped me be come acquainted with current guidelines on pain assessment. It also helped me identify a simple but valid and reliable tool in assessing patient’s level of pain. Pain perception in post-operative patients is highly subjective and could be influenced by several factors (Gagliese and Katz, 2003). These include age, gender, prior pain experience, medications and culture (Lavernia et al., 2011; Grinstein-Cohen et al., 2009; Gagliese and Katz, 2003). Regardless of the factors that influence pain, nurses should be able to assess the patient’s pain accurately and communicate with the patient strategies on how to control pain (Clancy et al., 2005). Hence, communication is crucial in ensuring quality post-operative care. On reflection, I was aware that the patient has difficulty communicating. Hence, choosing a more complex tool in assessing pain could add to more distress and anxiety for the patient (Gagliese and Katz, 2003). I realised that choosing a simple assessment tool helped calm down the patient since I was able to deliver care appropriately. On reflection, I would follow similar procedures in the future. However, I would improve my knowledge on pain assessment by participating in pain education nursing classes in university or in the hospital where I am assigned. This would form part of my continuing professional development and action plan. Abdalrahim et al. (2011) argue that nurses with high knowledge on patient education are more likely to accurately assess patient pain, leading to earlier relief and management of the patient’s pain. However, Francis and Fitzpatrick (2013) express that despite high levels of knowledge on pain management, there are some nurses who have difficulty translating this knowledge into actual practice. One of my roles as a nurse in an orthopaedic surgical ward is to manage post-operative pain of my patients. Failing to manage pain could lead to chronic pain, longer hospital stays and poorer health outcomes (Grinstein-Cohen et al., 2009). I also realised that effective communication with patients is needed to ensure that the patient’s needs are addressed. Conclusion In conclusion, the three incidents portrayed in this reflective brief demonstrate how I evolved as a nurse practitioner from novice to competent. Specifically, my communication skills have developed from year 1 until Year 3. In the first incident, I had difficulty communicating with older patients with dementia. Beginner nurse practitioners have no experience in the situations they find themselves in. This was true in my experience with the older patient with dementia. It was my first time at communicating with a patient with cognitive impairment and feeding him. I lacked confidence in carrying out the task and only improved after several meetings with the client. However, in year 2, my communication skills improved. For instance, I was able to immediately identify the needs of the patients by depending on verbal cues and non-verbal messages of the client. I was able to get an interpreter and communicate with him. However, I also realised that I still need to improve by participating in classes and training on how to communicate effectively with patients with different ethnic background. Finally, in year 3, I was now more competent in communicating with patients. Even when the patient in post-operative care could not communicate, I was aware that he was in pain. I was also able to use an appropriate assessment tool that is consistent with the guidelines in our hospital. I realised that I possess more confidence in communicating with the patient and identifying his needs. My previous experiences in communicating with different groups of patients helped me become competent in identifying the needs of the patients. Importantly, care was delivered promptly since I was able to appropriately assess the level of pain of the patient. All these three experiences show that I could hone my skills in communication. My communication experiences in nursing will help me become more competent and ready as a future nurse registrant. References Abdalrahim, M., Majali, S., Stomberg, M. & Bergbom, I. (2011) ‘The effect of postoperative pain management program on improving nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward pain’, Nurse Education in Practice, 11(4), pp. 250-255. Benner, P. (1984) From Novice to Expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice, Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley. Best, C. & Evans, L. (2013) ‘Identification and management of patients’ nutritional needs’, Nursing Older People, 25(3), pp. 303-6. Chambers, C. & Ryder, E. 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