Equilibrium Experiments

Aim: To investigate the theory of equilibrium via the completion of two experiments which rely on the use of equations TPLcos? +TPMcos?, which can be rewritten as (Mass Ag) cos?+(Mass Bg) cos?. For the second part of the investigation I will try to prove the equation (W*x)/d +weight of a ruler. Introduction In this investigation I will carry out two experiments, which in each case will prove a different aspect of the theory of equilibrium. There are two theories' I wish to prove. The first is † tension (Tpl) in the string Pl is equal to the weight of A and tension in the string pm (Tpm) is equal to the weight of B. For equilibrium the sum of the vertical components of these two tensions must be equal to the weight of c. Which means that: Tpl cos? + Tpmcos? = MassCg which can be written as (MassAg) cos ? +(MassBg) cos ? = MassCg (equ 1) Also: the moment of a force about a point is equal to the magnitude of the force x its perpendicular distance from the pivot. For equilibrium, the moment of the weight about the pivot will be equal to the moment in the opposite direction due to the weight of the ruler. Therefore (W*x)= weight of the ruler times distance d Weight of ruler = (W*x)/d. (equ 2) Diagram Method for experiment a 1. Set up the arrangement shown in figure 1, check that the point p is in equilibrium. 2. Note the value of masses A, B, and C and measure the angles LPO ? and MPO ?. 3. Keep masses A and B constant and note the new value of angles ? and ? for different values of mass C 4. Record results in tabular from. Method for experiment b 1. Set up apparatus as in fig 2. 2. Find point of equilibrium. 3. Note value for the mass used and the distances x and d. 4. Repeat last two stages for several sets of masses and record results in tabular form Calculation These where done on paper by hand for ease of presentation Error Analysis I have generated my errors on the fact that I thought that I could only read the I choose the error of. The way in which I got the final answer out was to run through the calculation twice, once with the answer I got – the error and then again this time with the answer I got + the error. I think that in the first experiment I was a little over the top with the error. I said that I could read the angle to about 5. But when I did the calculation again with the new values. I found that the gap was quite large. And that I was quite close to the true value and that although the value did fall in the gap, the gap could have been a lot smaller. This say to me that the error need not have been so large, and that I read the angle quite well. For exp B Conclusion In conclusion I have found out that equ 1 stand true. In the aim I set out to see if I could prove it I have put in all the results. The answers I get out are generally good. They are the same as the mass or in the cases were they are not they are close and fall well in the range of the errors. Problems with this experiment: the main problem I had with this experiment is the way I was told to find the angle. This way was not that accurate. It left a large margin for error. This is some of the anomalies may have crept in. For the second of the two experiments I found that the mass of the ruler was 0.128g. This was obtained by weighting the ruler on a set of scales. After putting the numbers through the formula for weight of ruler, and then dividing the output by g, which was 10, I managed to get a value for the mass of the ruler. On average this value was 0.119g, which is only about 7% away form the real mass of 0.128g.on farther analysis and after calculating the upper and lower bounds by changing the results by adding or subtracting the errors I found that the outcome from adding the errors to the results and the outcome from subtracting the errors was the same, 0.119g. This meant that the error was not a large enough value to affect the results a significant way. Therefore finally I found that the mass on the ruler to 0.119g this is 7% out for the value, which I recorded as the mass for the ruler. The reason for this is unknown. I can only guess to the reason. One possibility is the mass I recorded for the ruler was out. And as my results are so consistent this is a large possibility.

Essay Sample on Alfred Lord Tennyson

Essay Sample on Alfred Lord Tennyson Today, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry is widely known and appreciated, though this was not always the case. In his early years of writing his poems were criticized for content and style of writing. This strongly impacted Tennyson and caused him once to cease writing for nine years. Tennyson’s childhood influenced his writing and this is often seen in many of his poems. He was regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry. He become Poet Laureate in 1850 and was appointed by Queen Victoria and served 42 years. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry was greatly influenced by his early childhood, best friend and religious beliefs; while his rhyme scheme was traditional; his morbid style was not popular for his time. This melancholy style of writing and use of topics of moral and intellectual beliefs of his time were especially vulnerable for later critic. Tennyson’s life at home wasn’t always a happy one. His father, George, began tutoring Tennyson after four unhappy years of schooling. George tutored his sons in classical and modern languages. However, George, along with some of Tennyson’s brothers, suffered from bouts of epilepsy. One of Tennyson’s brother’s had violent quarrels with his father, one was confined to an insane asylum later in life and yet another became an opium addict. George often suffered from depression and his drinking led to him becoming violent, abusive and paranoid. â€Å"Tennyson’s grandfather appointed his uncle his heir and his father was placed in the ministry.† (The Victorian Web) This great difference in money between his own family and his aunt and uncle’s led Tennyson to worry about money the length of his life. In 1827 Tennyson left his home in hope of a better life. He followed two of his older brothers to Trinity College, Cambridge. The Tennyson brothers published â€Å"Poems by Two Brothers† in 1827 which won each of them university prizes for poetry and made the quite popular at Cambridge. Shortly after an undergraduate club, The Apostles, invited Tennyson to join. These people remained his friends throughout his life, but one member formed an unparalleled friendship with Tennyson. Arthur Henry Hallam, another brilliant Victorian, had the most influence on Tennyson. Hallam later became engaged to Emily Tennyson, which only brought the two friends closer together. Hallam died in 1833 from illness, this shocked Tennyson and this grief led to some of Tennyson’s best poetry. In Memoriam and â€Å"The Passing of Arthur are some of the poems Hallam is remembered in. This experience led Tennyson to explore his thoughts on faith, immortality, and the meaning of loss: â€Å"O life as futile, then, as frail! / O for thy voice to soothe and bless! / What hope of answer, or redress? / Behind the veil, behi nd the veil.† (Netpoets) Within other passages of the poem is a symbolic voyage ending in a ‘vision of Hallam as the poet’s muse.’ (Online Literature) Tennyson continued to look to Hallam for inspiration even after the friend had died. Throughout Tennyson’s life he fell in love with many women. One such woman was Emily Sellwood. Tennyson had met Sellwood in 1836 at her sister’s wedding and later that year became engaged to her. Tennyson soon published POEMS, which was met with bad reviews, which called his work â€Å"affected† and â€Å"obscure.† (Poets) Tennyson was hurt by the harsh reviews and discontinued writing for nine years. Once he lost his inheritance on a bad investment in 1840 Sellwood’s family called off the engagement. Later Tennyson’s POEMS in two volumes became a popular success and gained him much respect. With the publication of In Memoriam he became known as one of Britain’s most popular poets. He was selected Poet Laureate in succession to Wordsworth. (Poets) Once success had found Tennyson he married Sellwood. They had two sons, Hallam and Lionel. They remained married throughout the rest of Tennyson’s life. Tennyson’s style of writing was not widely accepted when he began writing. Most of his early poetry was said to be morbid and melancholy. This type of reaction discouraged Tennyson. Tennyson wasn’t widely praised until the release of his POEMS in two volumes. Tennyson often wrote of nature, death and regret. â€Å"Tears, Idle Tears† is an example of this. â€Å"In looking on the happy autumn-fields, And thinking of the days that are no more.† (Poets) Tennyson is in a beautiful, happy place, and yet he is only regretting not being in the past. Death is shown in â€Å"The Kraken† which is easily shown in the last line; â€Å"In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.† There are many other examples for Tennyson’s less than lively poetry. Tennyson uses luring words in his poems. If a person didn’t know anything about poetry they might think that they were reading a love poem. He uses words that almost calm the reader, although they might be reading about death, or regret. His use of language is very appealing. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry was greatly influenced by his environment. His father was a clergyman whom later in life experienced epilepsy and would fall into bouts of drinking and depression. His very close friend and brother-in-law Hallam died suddenly, leaving Tennyson stung and deeply saddened. His wife Emily Sellwood’s family cancelled their wedding when he lost his money, only to rearrange it when he became a well-known writer. In some part of each of Tennyson’s poems you will find an example of his life, or his feelings about his life and happenings. â€Å"T.S. Eliot has called him ‘the great master of metric as well as of melancholia’ and that that he possessed the finest ear of any English poet since Milton.† (Online Literature) Despite Tennyson’s family history with health problems he lived a long life and died at the 83 on October 6, 1892. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on   Alfred Lord Tennyson topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Question - Essay Example These defined liabilities are the results of the past events that will be turning into future economic outflows from the company, these liabilities successfully meet the standard definition of obligation but their measurement and computation is often observed to be a debatable issue. As the above-discussed liabilities are future expenses for the company, their future value computation may depend upon numerous factors. These liabilities are very sensitive to the rates of interest of the country and other external factors such as government policies, inflation rates, time value of money, and the probable date of maturity. Their date of maturity may change and solely depends upon the clauses and covenants placed upon them in the contracts. The lease commitments are the future payments of the leased item. Only the current liability under the lease agreement contains a true value of the lease payment for the year, the non-current liabilities hold an estimated figure to be paid in the future. The purchase obligation makes an organization to bound into a commitment of purchase of an item in the future date. The market value of the item in the future cannot be defined in the present period; an estimated value is considered in this case as well. In the case of marketable securities, the rates and maturity periods, and markets for the item are estimated based on assumptions. The derivatives also fall into the same category. The nature of these obligations makes it difficult for the company to reflect and present the real and accurate value of these items. Hence, there is a possibility that the liabilities been shown by the companies may differ from their actual worth. Ernst & Young LLP is the audit firm which performs external audit of Apple Inc. and PriceWaterhouseCoopers performs external audit of Dell Inc. The auditors of both

Summary on ellis island Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary on ellis island - Essay Example Many people who live in the United States today can trace at least someone in their lineage back to Elis Island. At this station, immigrants were required to submit to medical examination in which those that did not pass were sent back to their respective countries. Also, while they were there, it was required to give their information in order to be on record with the United States. Sometimes, due to the lack of interpreters and the different languages and dialects being spoken, when signing in the book names would be written on what they sounded like resulting in the change of the last name. Towards the end of Elis Island, the US government started restricting the number of immigrants coming through when both the Immigrant Quota Act of 1921 and the National Origins Act of 1924 was passed. Eventually, the facility was closed down. In 1976, Elis Island was turned into a tourist facility in which people interested in their family’s genealogy could trace their ancestry back to. It serves as a testimony to all those immigrants who braved the challenges to make it over here and how America was their opportunity for a new life. Bibliography Moreno, Barry. Ellis Island. Great Britain: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. 73-78. Print. Szucs, Loretto . Ellis Island: Tracing Your Family History Through America's Gateway. 10th ed. Provo, UT: Ancestry Publishing, 2000. 2-10. Print.

The Chrysanthemum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Chrysanthemum - Essay Example What is revealed in most of the religious texts, and what is practiced by the society are mostly contradictory. A female child suffers victimization at every stage of life. When she grows, marries, begets children, her responsibilities multiply. Her private ambitions stand curtailed. Circumstances compel her to suppress her many fond feelings for the growth of her innate desires and latent personality. How can a woman be the legal and spiritual equal of man in the true sense? John Steinbeck in his story The Chrysanthemum highlights the limitations under which a married woman lives. He writes not to sympathize with women, not condemn the society—he just mentions the facts, for which there are no tangible solutions. Her plight is a sort of inevitable confinement. Elisa is one such woman. She is as if imprisoned in a fort, being attacked by the enemy from outside. The nature seems to move in tandem with her moods. The story opens: "The high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot." Every description by the author related to the life of Elisa is chiseled within the details of confinement. Her garden of flowers is surrounded by a wire fence. Flower and wire fence, create a picture, how her tender emotions are imprisoned. Through such enclosures, she watches the activities that are taking place in t he society. She has no conflict with her husband, everything apparently seems to go on well. Her dissatisfaction with her life has nothing to do with the attitudes of her husband and his disposition towards her. The story critically examines her psychology. The images of seasons, weather, plants and a animals—all work as natures agents to provided support to the happiness of her life. When a bright and energetic woman has to fall in

Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Descartes - Essay Example Although he decided to doubt everything, at some point the Cartesian method hit  a brick wall. This happens when he himself agrees to settle for an assumption in as far as the existence of God is concerned. He makes an inference by saying that God is infinite and that he cannot conceive a cause by which God is produced, this means that his perception of God is doubtable since he is unable to explain the origin of God (page 117). This explanation does not in any way prove the existence of God. It is probably the weakest argument in his work and which also shows either fear or reluctance on his part to challenge the existence of God. Assuming that he feared to challenge the existence of God, it can be argued that such utterances as to the existence of God may have resulted in severe punishment for him during his time. TheCartesian theory reaches its point of elasticity when Rene Descartes approaches the argument of the existence of God.   The Cartesian theory does not therefore suf fice as an essential school of thought in totality due to the fact that it leaves a rather big loophole to convince the layman and other philosophers how God came into existence. Therefore his view of the existence of God does not satisfy any philosophical urge to explain the existence of God. Philosophy aims to answer questions and set the standards in the way people think and assess situations. Its nature is such that it is critical and rationale. This means that all possible weaknesses have to be nipped in the bud. Positing absolute certainty means that philosophy has to reach an acme beyond which no one can come up with any further argument. Philosophy relies on rational judgment, so any philosophical claim or statement should be critical and based on pure reason and should not lead in circles. Philosophy should have a definite end point, a point which leaves no room for question marks. This is why philosophy must be absolute. However, since it is based on rational judgment, thi s absolute certainty can be difficult to achieve because rational judgment is relative, depending on factors like the environment one grows up in and even the foundations and teachings of one’s faith. It is thus rational to argue that the Cartesian method  does not fully satisfy the philosophical requirements since the existence of God according to this method, though based on rational judgment according to the creator of the theory, leaves many a question unanswered as to the how God came to being, something that even Rene Descartes himself cannot explain satisfactorily. Although the Cartesian method has been criticized by many people, it actually does hold water. It achieved absolute certainty when Rene Descartes argues that he cannot be deceived into thinking that he does not exist, because unless something existed there would be nothing to deceive. This implies that one has to exist so as to be deceived, you cannot deceive that which does not exist. Absolute certainty b ecomes achievable mainly up to the extent of concrete things, those that we can see and touch, but when it comes to abstract matters which are based in thought and ideas, like the existence of God, the answers and explanations put forward in relation to the Cartesian method sometimes do not achieve the threshold required. According to the theory of knowledge by Rene Descartes, natural light or by the light of nature is the clear and distinct perception which emphasizes the nature that has been made by God. Natural light seems like the basis

Therapeutic Engagement Is A Basic Tool For Nurses

Therapeutic Engagement Is A Basic Tool For Nurses My rationale for choosing communication and therapeutic engagement is that it occupies a central position in my experience and transition and from student nurse to an accountable practitioner. Through communication the nurse gets to know the patient and is able to form a therapeutic relationship. It is the foundation and a basic tool of the nurse -patient relationship. Without clear communication it is impossible to give care, effectively make decisions, protect clients from threats to well being and ensure their safety on the ward, co ordinate and manage clients care and offer comfort. The relevance of communication and therapeutic engagement in mental health is emphasised in the summary of the Chief Nursing Officers review of mental health nursing (DH, 2006). One of the key recommendations in improving outcome for service users is developing and sustaining positive therapeutic relationship with service users, their families and/or carers and should form the basis of all care. The N MC (2008) Code of Professional Conduct similarly emphasise that nurses must work with other members of the team and patients to promote healthcare environment that are conductive to safe, therapeutic and ethical practice. The SLAM NHS Foundation Trust document Engagement and Formal Observation Policy (SLAM, 2008) also highlight the importance of communication and engagement with patients under observation. Many patients and their family members often experience difficulty in communicating with healthcare professionals. The Audit Commission (1993) has stated that poor communication between patients and healthcare professionals is one of the main reasons for compliant and litigation in the healthcare service. The NHS Plan (DH, 2000) emphasised the importance getting the basics right by improving the quality of care and the experience of patients. One of the ways of achieving this is through effective communication between patients, carers and healthcare personnel. This is highlighted in the Department of Health document, Essence of Care (2003) (www.dh.gov.uk):Patient focused benchmark for clinical governance. In this document is a new benchmark focusing on communication between patients and/or carers and healthcare personnel which compliments that of record keeping and privacy and dignity benchmarks. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) (DH, 2004) lists communication as a core dimension which is a key aspect of all jobs in the NHS and underpins all other dimension in the KSF. The United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) now Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) stated that communication is an essential part of good practice in nursing and it is the basis for building a trusting relationship that will greatly improve care and help reduce anxiety and stress for patients/ clients, their families and their carers ( UKCC, 1996). My ward is a Patient Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of a forensic setting. It has thirteen in-patients and a staff strength of twenty three nurses both qualified and unqualified. Agency staffs are frequently engaged to make up the number of staff necessary to care for patients on a particular shift. On the average there are between seven and eleven nursing staff per shift depending on the prevailing situation on the ward. It has two supervised confinements and two intensive care areas. Admissions are planned and it is based on a set of assessment criteria. Only acutely unwell patients are admitted. This essay will draw on my first working experience as a primary nurse of an acutely unwell psychiatric patient to illustrate my development with regards to communication and therapeutic engagement. Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle will be used to reflect this experience. Description I had just started work as a newly employed member of staff and was assigned primary nurse to a thirty year old patient of Afro-Caribbean origin who was transferred from another ward following a relapse in his mental state. He was under section 3 of the Mental Health Act (1983). This patient is named A for confidentiality purposes (NMC, 2008) had diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and had no insight into his mental illness. His carer was his mother with whom he had a luke-warm relationship. He was very suspicious of staff interventions and would not engage. Routine blood tests had revealed that he had elevated cretenine kinase (CK) levels (Cretenine Kinase enzyme, high levels of which case severe muscle damage, neuropletic malignant syndrome, myocardial infarction etc). Following this finding, his antipsychotic medication was withdrawn pending further blood tests. He refused to have a blood sample taken for further tests; he believed staff would drink his blood. As his primary nurse , I made several attempts to encourage him to have the blood tests, but he would not be persuaded. He was also diagnosed with type II diabetes and was dependent of insulin. He self managed his physical illness by carrying out blood glucose level monitoring and self administering insulin under staff supervision. Patient A fed only on pre-packed barbeque chicken purchased from the supermarket and would not eat food served on the ward. I had one to one engagement with him to discuss his dietary intake and also formulate a physical and mental healthcare plan. He was not interested and made no contributions to the discussions. I gave him copies of the care plans which he declined. He said you can keep those care plans I dont need them and I am able to take care of myself. By the end of the second week, his mental state had deteriorated so much that he was very paranoid, irritable and getting into arguments with fellow patients and staff. He was involved in incidents both verbal and physical aggression and became increasingly difficult to manage on the ward. For his safety and that of others the team made a decision to nurse Mr. A in supervised confinement based on rationalist -analytical approach, having carried out risk assessment and looked at his history as well as the trust policy. As part of this risk management plan he was transferred to the intensive care area (ICA) and nursed under enhanced observation by two nursing staff. I requested to be allocated to nurse him in the ICA as often as the trust and unity policy would allow, in order to assess his mental state and attempt to build a rapport with him. Mr. A would not talk but I persisted. He noticed that I was frequently allocated to observe him and gradually opened up. I explained to him the teams decision to nurse him in the supervised confinement and the ICA. We talked about politics, football, music etc and our relationship developed and continued till he was transferred to a rehabilitation ward. Feelings I felt very frustrated and inadequate and was very much under stress. It was obvious from his reaction that he had no confidence nor trust in me and saw me just like any other healthcare professional. Woods (2004) highlights the complex problems and needs of patients who find themselves in forensic settings and maintain that it is a common occurrence that some patients can not engage in treatment while others simply refuse to do so. Arnold and Underman-Boggs (1999) maintain that any meaningful relationship begins with trust. Trusting a nurse is particularly difficult for the mentally ill, for whom the idea of having a caring relationship is incomprehensible. As his primary nurse I saw myself as the advocate ready to work with him and seek his interest at all times. As nurses, we are called upon to play our roles as advocates, supervising and protecting clients rights and empowering them to take charge of their lives. Ironbar et al (2003) stresses that, therapeutic relationships can b e stressful. Working closely with people who are mentally unwell and under stress can be very demanding and emotionally draining experience. Consequently, nurses need to be aware of the effect that such relationships can have on them. This requires insight, self awareness and ability to cope effectively with stress. My initial perception was that Mr A was a difficult patient and considered withdrawing as his primary nurse but I felt emotionally attached. I understood that I owed Mr A. a duty of care (NMC, 2008) and simply withdrawing was not professional in my view. OCarrol et al (2007) contended that in our professional roles, nurses do not have the same option as we do in our personal life by withdrawing from difficult relationships. Rather it requires exploring the situation which may help recognise ways in which the nurse is influenced by his emotions. The authors caution that nurses must learn to manage their own emotions. Furthermore, they need to communicate their emotional r eactions to the patient, albeit in a modified form. I empathised with Mr A and it drew me closer to him, revealing to me the depth of hi mental illness. I wished I could doe something here and now to help alleviate the state f confusion, anxiety and helplessness in which he found himself. Barker (2003) reports of how in recent times empathy has been shown to enable nurses to investigate and understand the experience of persons experiencing a state of chaos as a consequence of psychiatric order. I felt uncomfortable when Mr A had to be physically restrained (PSTS techniques) and nursed in supervisory confinement, I felt that this procedure was not justifiable because the privacy, dignity and respect of this client had been compromised. As nurses we are to demonstrate respect for patients by promoting their privacy and dignity (NMC, 2008) (Essence of Care, 2003). On the other hand, I thought that his safety and that f others was paramount and this could be achieved only by nursing him separately from the rest. The NMC (2008: para 8:4) Code of Professional Conduct clearly states that when facing a professional dilemma, the first consideration must be the safety of patients. The collaborative team decision to nurse him in the supervised confinement area made me feel valued as a team member. I was actively involved in the decision making process and carried out risk assessments. I felt that I was insensitive with my sustained persistence to get him to talk. I should have understood that his moments of silence were necessary to help him calm down (SLAM, 2008). I also felt unsupported and struggled to cope with the management and care of Mr A. I was unable to access clinical supervision because my supervisor was away on holiday. Evaluation Although it seemed difficult at the beginning, but by the time Mr A was out of the ICA we had developed a good working relationship. I did not show my disappointment at his reluctance to engage when he was acutely unwell and stayed positive. Engaging with him while nursing him in the ICA offered me the opportunity to explain to him the teams decision to place him under enhanced observation. Actively listening to him and discussing with him his thoughts and feelings have helped lessen his distress. It also enabled me to give a comprehensive feedback to the team regarding his mental state. We met in one to one engagements and discussed his concerns and needs. A good and well ventilated environment was always made for our meetings. Following assessments, we discussed his care plans, participation in group activities, crisis management and other forms of therapies. He felt very much in charge, highlighting his most pressing needs. Whenever we met, there as a demonstration of mutual respect and desire for working together in a partnership. Together we identified and prioritised his goals for recovery based on his strengths and what he believes is achievable. Faulkner (1998) asserts that goals must be clearly defined so that both the professional and the patient are going in the same direction in terms of what they wish to achieve by a certain time. During our interactions, clear boundaries were set and clarified for Mr A what were acceptable behaviours. Boundaries were set as to what he was allowed to do without supervision, how he engaged with others and appropriate ways of addressing issues he felt unhappy or uncomfortable with. The plan of care was therefore service-user centred and recovery orientated approach. The recovery model has been incorporated into the principles of care delivery in the trust (SLAM, 2007). It aims to help service-users to move beyond mere survival and existence, encouraging them to move forward and carry out activities and develop relationships that give their lives meanings. Wood (2004) indicated that nursing forensic patients is not easy and requires complex treatment plans that focus fundamentally on reducing risk of harm to others. As part of his recovery, he was encouraged to self manage his diabetes under supervision. Giving his understanding of his physical illness information was provided to enable him to make informed decisions about his lifestyle. Mr A consented to giving regular blood samples. His CK level fell to normal levels and was restarted on anti psychotic medication. However, it took time for Mr A to adequately understand the situation that he was in and the effect of his illness on his lifestyles. It must also be stated that it was not always possible to meet with Mr A as planned. Scheduled meetings had to be cancelled due to being engaged with very pressing ward issues. Analysis The use of therapeutic communications in nursing, particularly empathy, is what enables therapeutic change and should not be underestimated (Norman and Ryrie, 2004). Egan (2002) argues that empathy is not just the ability to enter into and understand the world of another person but also be able to communicate this understanding to him/her. The relevance of empathetic relationships to the goals of health services are suggested by the increase in focus on patient centred care and the growth of consumerism. The client-centred focus is illustrated by the NHS patient charter which emphasises that clinicians need to collaborate with users of the health services in the prioritising of clinical needs and the setting of treatment goals (Barker, 2003). Nurses should be aware that patients who are paranoid and suspicious of staff interventions as was the case of Mr A, might not readily accept support from staff. This implies that working with such patients can be very challenging and difficult. It therefore calls for the nurse to remain impatient, calm and focused. The need to build therapeutic relationship with the patient is paramount in gaining trust and respect (Rigby and Alexander, 2008). Caring, empathy and good communication skills are needed to help patients through their illness. Therefore the use of effective interpersonal skill s facilitates the development of a positive nurse-patient relationship. McCabe (2004) argues that the use of effective interpersonal skills, a basic component of nursing, must be patient centred. Nursing Mr A in supervised confinement and subsequently in the ICA was in accordance to SLAM (2008) Engagement and Formal Observation Policy. Despite the frequent occurrence of this nursing intervention in mental health settings, for the whole of the UK there are no national standards or guidelines for practice of observation. The current situation in England and Wales is that policies are developed and implemented at a local level using SNMAC (1999) practice guidance for observation of patients at risk as a template (Harrison et al, 2006). Nursing patients in supervised confinement, though a common practice in the PICU raises a number of ethical, professional and legal issues about the role of the nurse, whether he/she is a custodian or therapist and a friend is debateable. Alland et al (2003) noted that patients view enhanced observation as uncomfortable at best, custodial and dehumanising at worst. Mr A felt that his pride and dignity had been taken away from him he was at risk an d therefore an immediate and effective risk management plan had to be implemented. This was necessary to ensure his safety and that of others even though he expressed unhappiness with this intervention. By engaging him and encouraging him to share his thoughts and feelings his anger appeared to have lessened as he joined in the discussions of politics, music, football etc. Thurgood (2004) empathised that showing your human side to clients is very important. Engaging meaningfully with patients and helping them talk about their feelings is the first step to alleviating some of their distress. The NMC (2008) Code of Professional Conduct clearly points to the rights of patients in relation to autonomy. There appeared to have been a reach to Mr As rights. The difficulty we faced as a team was finding the balance between allowing some privacy and dignity versus persevering his safety and security. Consequently, a dilemma arose for me as his primary nurse in relation to his rights, obligat ions and duties. In fact Article 5(1) e of the Human Rights Act (1998) specifies the right of the state to lawfully detain the person of unsound mind. Within the UK, that framework is provides by the Mental Health Act 1983 (DOH, 1998). One may argue then that there is no fundamental incompatibility between the Mental Health Act and the Human Rights Act. There were times that scheduled meetings with Mr A had to be cancelled because of urgent administrative duties. It meant that he lost the opportunity to meet up with me to discuss his concerns and needs. The concept of Patient Protected Time (PPT) in inpatient units is therefore valid. It allows patients to meet with a healthcare provider on one to one for a specified time when the ward is closed to administrative duties to discuss care plans, social activities, therapies and others. Such interaction according to Song and Soobratty (2007) promotes feelings of self confidence, esteem and recovery. It can also aid the patient therapeutic progress as it can help with social interaction and building relationships. However, nurses complain they already have plenty to do without an added pressure of PPT to contend with. Nurses frequently complaining of being too busy to develop therapeutic rapport with patents (Mental Health Act Commission 2008). Yawar (2008) reported that only 16% of pati ents time was spent in what can loosely be termed as therapeutic interaction. The remaining of the 84% was spent aimlessly either pacing p and down the ward or doing nothing. Nurses recognise their responsibilities to engage with patients and welcome the opportunity to do this without other demands (Edward, 2008). The Department of Health (2002) called for improvements to ensure adequate clinical support inputs to inpatient wards and to maximise the time spent by staff therapeutically engaged with patients. Therapeutic engagement, therefore involves spending quality time with patients with the aim to empower them to actively participate in their care. Conclusion Communication is without doubt the medium through which the nurse-patient relationship takes place. The skills of active listening and reflection promote better communication and encourage empathy building. My first role as a primary nurse as a good learning experience. My conduct throughout the whole experience earned me a favourable feedback from my team leader. Caring for acutely mentally unwell patients requires of the nurse sensitivity, conveying warmth and empathy. Engaging meaningfully and actively listening to patients under enhanced observation makes them perceive the practice as valuing rather than punishing, therapeutic rather then custodial. Feeling safe and secured provides a platform which can assist patients to begin to resolve some of the difficulties they may be facing in their lives. It is imperative that nurses involve patients in all aspects of their care, empowering and making decisions in partnership with the team. By developing collaborative relationship with p atients, nurses can provide prompt and focused interventions which can limit illness damage, assist in the process of symptoms management and help the process of recovery. Action plan My aim is to be proactive in the future by promptly seeking support from senior colleagues and requesting for clinical supervision. I aim to develop the skill of emotional resilience and intelligence to be able to deliver care that will promote patient welfare and aid recovery. The preceptorship experience has been a breath of fresh air. A time to look back and take stock of the transition from student nurse to an accountable practitioner. Listening and sharing in the experiences of fellow nurses was a good learning experience. The preceptors were fantastic master clinicians who were receptive to our contributions as they explored our experiences at the beginning of each teaching session. This experience has undoubtedly enhanced my critical thinking as a nurse and prepared me to move forward in my development and practice as a caring and competent nurse. I see myself as being in the right job which offers many opportunities for development and to improve upon my knowledge and skills.