Search Assignment Sample For Ireland Students

For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work.

This is a model 5N0690 personal expression sample for QQI Level 5 Communications on a Healthcare Support programme. It answers the brief set out on the live Personal Expression question page, and it is written as an illustration of one possible approach. The person, the setting and the events are invented. If you want to know how to choose your own topic and format, read the companion guide, how to write a 5N0690 personal expression piece.

5N0690 personal expression sample: a reflective journal entry

Format chosen: written reflective journal entry. Length: about 600 words, inside the 500 to 700 word range. All details are illustrative.

The conversation I got wrong, then got right

Thursday evening, after my third week of placement.

I want to write down what happened this morning while it is still fresh, because I nearly missed the point of it.

At breakfast I asked Mr D, a resident in his eighties, whether he would like tea or coffee. He smiled, nodded, and said nothing. I took the nod as a yes and brought tea. He pushed it gently away. I felt my face go warm, and my first thought was that he was being difficult. That thought did not last long, but I am honest enough to admit it was there.

What I had missed was simple. Mr D is hard of hearing. He nods and smiles because he is polite, not because he has understood. I had asked a two-part question from behind his shoulder, at normal speed, with a clattering trolley beside us.

So I tried again. I walked round so he could see my face. I crouched to his eye level, waited until he looked at me, and asked one question: “Tea?” Then I held up the teapot. Then I held up the coffee jar. He laughed, pointed at the coffee, and said, “Why did nobody just show me that?”

That line has stayed with me all day.

I think the lesson is bigger than breakfast. I had been treating communication as something I say. Today I learned it is something the other person receives. If it does not arrive, the job is not finished. A nod is not a reply, and a quiet resident is not always a content one.

Afterwards I read the staff guidance our placement tutor shared on speaking with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Most of it is common sense once you see it written down: face the person, cut down background noise, speak a little more slowly without shouting, use gestures and objects, and check that the message got through. Doing it felt awkward at first. By lunchtime it felt like ordinary good manners.

There is something else I want to be honest about. I felt embarrassed, and part of me wanted to hide the mistake. But the mistake was the useful part. If I had got it right first time, I would never have noticed how much of my own routine depends on people being able to hear me.

Next week I will do three things differently. First, I will check each resident’s hearing and communication needs in their care plan before I start the morning round. Second, I will always make sure I have their attention before I speak. Third, when I get a nod, I will ask them to tell me back what they would like, rather than assuming.

I am also going to try this outside placement. My nan lives alone and says “pardon” on the phone more often than she used to. I have been finishing her sentences for her, and I suspect she has noticed. Maybe I can slow down, say less at a time, and let her answer in her own words.

Mr D asked me to bring him coffee again tomorrow. I will, and I will show him the jar first.

Why this works against the criteria

The brief awards 10 marks across three criteria. The table shows how the model above meets each one.

If you are curious about the thinking behind the shape, it loosely follows the stages of Gibbs’ (1988) reflective cycle: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. You do not need to label them. Marks come from the quality of the thinking, not from visible headings.

Choosing a format: written, audio or video

The brief accepts written work of 500 to 700 words, or audio or video of 4 to 6 minutes, or another creative format. The content matters more than the container. Use this comparison to decide.

The model above would work well as an audio piece, because the dialogue and the pause before “Tea?” suit the spoken voice. If you went that way, you would trim it slightly and rehearse it against a timer. A plain-English approach helps in every format. NALA (n.d.) recommends sentences of roughly 15 to 20 words, active verbs and everyday vocabulary, and the model follows that advice.

What to copy and what not to copy

• Copy the method: pick a small, real moment and ask what it shows.
• Copy the honesty: markers reward authentic thinking, not a polished performance.
• Do not copy the topic or wording. Your own experience is what the markers want to read, and it is the only way to be original.
• Do not invent a dramatic story. A quiet, true observation usually scores better than a made-up one.

Need a second pair of eyes on your own draft? Our team supports QQI learners through QQI assignment help and can polish a finished draft through proofreading and editing services.

About the expert

Emma Murphy holds a Master’s in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin and specialises in literature, language and communication. She writes and supports academic work including essays, research papers and dissertations in MLA, APA and Harvard styles, has worked as an English professor at a leading Irish university for the past 7 years, and works as a freelance writer and editor.

References

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Available at: https://vufind.lboro.ac.uk/Record/582669 (Accessed: 23 October 2026).

Health Service Executive (n.d.) Communicating with Deaf and Hard of Hearing patients in hospital and healthcare settings during Covid-19. Available at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources/staff-guide-for-communicating-with-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-persons1.pdf (Accessed: 23 October 2026).

National Adult Literacy Agency (n.d.) Plain English guidelines at a glance. Available at: https://www.nala.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Plain-English-guidelines-at-a-glance.pdf (Accessed: 23 October 2026).

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (n.d.) Communications 5N0690: component specification, NFQ Level 5. Available at: https://qsdocs.qqi.ie/sites/docs/AwardsLibraryPdf/5N0690_AwardSpecifications_English.pdf (Accessed: 23 October 2026).