The body paragraphs of an argumentative nursing essay carry the weight of presenting, substantiating, and analyzing your key evidence and rationale. Writing coherent, logically structured body paragraphs is crucial for developing your central thesis persuasively. This article provides tips for composing compelling body paragraphs to strengthen your essay.

Understanding the Role of Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea or point that supports your thesis statement and overall argument. The body as a whole should:

  • Present your perspective with supporting evidence and claims
  • Address opposing views and logically rebut or refute them
  • Analyze how your sources and reasoning validate your thesis
  • Convince readers to agree with your viewpoint on the nursing issue

With effective organization and content, your body paragraphs form the logical building blocks of your stance. They provide the substantive facts, data, reasoning, and analysis to substantiate your position.

The body is where you justify your perspective and central claims regarding the argumentative nursing topic at hand. Each body paragraph develops one key point, backed by credible evidence and critical interpretation. When structured coherently, your body paragraphs methodically build support for your thesis one point at a time through the reasoned progression of ideas.

In summary, the body paragraphs form the crux of your argumentative essay, where you lay out the logical foundations for readers to arrive at your viewpoint on complex nursing controversies and issues.

Structuring Effective Body Paragraphs

A well-structured body paragraph contains four elements:

Topic Sentence: The first sentence clearly states the paragraph’s key point and how it relates to your thesis. This focuses the ensuing discussion.

Supporting Evidence: The next 2-3 sentences present facts, statistics, data, quotes, citations from research that substantiate the topic sentence and expand on that point. Evidence should come from authoritative, credible nursing sources.

Analysis: The next 2-3 sentences comprise your own commentary explaining how the evidence reinforces your thesis and overall argument. This critical analysis strengthens the relevance of the evidence.

Concluding Sentence: The last sentence summarizes the main point of the paragraph and provides a smooth transition to the next paragraph.

This organizational structure helps logically establish and build support for your central argument point by point through the succession of body paragraphs. Each paragraph plays a distinct role in proving your broader thesis.

Transition Words to Begin Body Paragraphs

Using apt transition words and phrases to start body paragraphs establishes logical connections between ideas and smooth flow:

  • First, Second, Third (orders ideas chronologically)
  • Consequently, Therefore (show cause-effect relationships)
  • However, In contrast, Conversely (indicate contrasts)
  • Similarly, Additionally (draw comparisons)
  • Admittedly, Granted (acknowledge merits of opposing views)

For example, beginning a paragraph with “Second” indicates it builds on the preceding point. Starting with “However” signals an opposing perspective follows. Using transitions clarifies the relationships between paragraphs.

In addition to transitions at the start, also use them between sentences within paragraphs to create logical connections. Maintaining strong transitions throughout body paragraphs improves flow and readability.

Examples of Strong Body Paragraphs in Argumentative Nursing Essays

Below are excerpts demonstrating well-structured body paragraphs with smooth transitions and analysis:

Paragraph Using “First” Transition

First, nurse residency programs ease the transition to practice for new graduates. Studies show residencies increase first-year retention rates by over 20% (Sherman et al., 2019). This evidence confirms investing in nurse residencies reduces attrition among novices, allowing hospitals to retain and further develop skilled nurses during the crucial entry period into the profession.

Paragraph Using “However” Transition

However, some balk at the upfront costs of implementing nurse residency programs. But research shows residencies repay their investment within two years by reducing new nurse turnover expenses (Silvestre et al. 2017). Therefore, though initial outlays are required, ultimately residencies offer a cost-effective strategy to curtail nursing shortages. The long-term dividends outweigh initial costs.

Paragraph Using “Additionally” Transition

Additionally, residencies strengthen nursing practice. New nurses in residency programs show significant improvements in clinical reasoning, confidence, leadership, and hospital care quality measures versus their non-residency peers (Bratt et al., 2022). Investing in nurse development improves outcomes.

Developing Topic Sentences for Body Paragraphs

An effective topic sentence:

  • Directly relates to supporting your thesis statement
  • Clearly establishes the specific point of the paragraph
  • Uses transition words to indicate logical connections
  • Sparks interest in the ensuing discussion and evidence

For example:

“Second, mandating strict nurse-patient ratios overlooks the key factor of patient acuity levels in determining appropriate staffing.”

“However, despite good intentions, rigidly imposed staffing ratios limit hospitals’ ability to allocate nurses based on real-time unit needs.”

“Additionally, personalized nurse shift handoffs at the bedside foster essential human connections between caregivers.”

Brainstorm succinct but compelling topic sentences for each planned body paragraph to clarify your essay organization. Topic sentences provide focus and direction. The rest of the paragraph should flow from and support the point made in the topic sentence.

Final thoughts

Logical, cohesive body paragraphs with smooth transitions provide the essential structure for building your evidence-based argument. Follow the guidelines in this article to compose body paragraphs that methodically develop, support, and analyze your key points, claims, and proofs to argue your perspective on significant nursing issues convincingly. With practice, you will become adept at writing persuasive body paragraphs to explain and justify your stance. Strong body paragraphs demonstrate in-depth critical thought and command of evidence, establishing your credibility on the nursing topic.

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Sources: Argumentative nursing essays body paragraphs

Bratt, M., Baernholdt, M., & Pruszynski, J. (2022). Learning needs of novice nurses in acute care hospitals. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 38(2), 58-64.

Sherman, R. O., Gessner, B. A., Hauptman, P., & Perelstein, V. (2019). The effect of a nurse residency program on nursing retention. The Journal of continuing education in nursing, 50(8), 356–362. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20190717-06

Silvestre, J. H., Ulrich, B. T., Johnson, T., Spector, N., & Blegen, M. (2017). A multisite study on a new graduate registered nurse transition to practice program: Return on investment. Nursing economic$, 35(3), 110–118.