DNP 703 Module 5 Synthesis-Argument Essay Example

Course	DNP 703 Innovation in Communication Scholarly and Professional Writing
Module	Module 5
Paper type	Synthesis-argument essay
Length	About 511 words, 4 pages
Format	APA 7 student paper
School	Arizona State University
Program	Doctor of Nursing Practice
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for DNP 703 Module 5

Let Patients See the Staffing: An Argument for Public Reporting of Nurse Staffing in Arizona Hospitals

Student Name

Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University

DNP 703: Innovation in Communication: Scholarly and Professional Writing

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title states the position as a plain request, the way an argument essay or editorial should, and names the place the policy would apply.

Let Patients See the Staffing: An Argument for Public Reporting of Nurse Staffing in Arizona Hospitals

Introduction

When families choose a hospital, they can look up infection rates and patient ratings, but not how many patients each nurse will care for on the unit where their mother will stay. They say that staffing is an internal management matter. I say that the evidence linking staffing to survival makes it public information. Arizona should require every hospital to publish nurse staffing by unit and shift, reported quarterly to the state and posted online.

The Evidence That Staffing Is a Safety Measure

Research across health systems shows that each additional patient per nurse is associated with higher odds of death. A single extra patient per nurse lifted 30-day surgical mortality odds by 7% in Pennsylvania (Aiken et al., 2002), and the same 7% increase appeared across nine European countries (Aiken et al., 2014). Shift-level data from one American medical center showed that patients' risk of death rose with every shift spent under target staffing (Needleman et al., 2011). These studies differ in method but agree in direction, which is why staffing belongs alongside the safety measures hospitals already report.

What this page is doingThe argument states its claim in the introduction, then grounds it first in outcome research before turning to policy, so the call for reporting rests on evidence.

The Evidence From Policy

Two jurisdictions have gone further and mandated minimum ratios. California's law, the first in the United States, produced lower patient loads, and an analysis estimated that New Jersey and Pennsylvania hospitals would have had fewer surgical deaths had they matched California's ratios on medical-surgical units (Aiken et al., 2010). In Queensland, Australia, a prospective study found that after ratio legislation, hospitals covered by the law improved staffing and saw reductions in mortality, readmissions and length of stay compared with hospitals not covered, with savings that exceeded the cost of the added nurses (McHugh et al., 2021). These results suggest that policy can move staffing and outcomes.

Objections and Responses

The strongest objection is that Arizona does not have enough nurses, and that a mandate would force units to close. That objection applies to ratio mandates, not to reporting. Public reporting requires no hospital to hire anyone; it requires hospitals to tell the truth about staffing. A second objection is that staffing numbers can mislead because patient acuity varies. That is a reason to report acuity-adjusted data with the raw numbers, not to report nothing. A third is administrative burden. Hospitals already track staffing hourly for payroll and scheduling, so the data exist.

What this page is doingAnswering the strongest objection directly, and showing it applies to mandates rather than reporting, is where synthesis-argument essays earn most of their credit.

Why Reporting Is the Right First Step

Reporting creates accountability without dictating management. It lets nurses compare employers, lets families make informed choices, and lets researchers study Arizona's hospitals directly. If reported data show dangerous staffing, legislators will have evidence for stronger action; if they do not, the debate can move on.

Conclusion

The research is consistent: more patients per nurse means more deaths. Patients in Arizona deserve to know how their hospital staffs its units. I urge the Arizona Nurses Association and the state legislature to make public staffing reports the next step in hospital transparency, and I urge nurses to share this evidence with their representatives.

What this page is doingClosing with a named audience and a specific request gives the argument a purpose beyond the classroom.

References

Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Sochalski, J., & Silber, J. H. (2002). Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. JAMA, 288(16), 1987-1993. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.16.1987

Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Bruyneel, L., Van den Heede, K., Griffiths, P., Busse, R., Diomidous, M., Kinnunen, J., Kózka, M., Lesaffre, E., McHugh, M. D., Moreno-Casbas, M. T., Rafferty, A. M., Schwendimann, R., Scott, P. A., Tishelman, C., van Achterberg, T., & Sermeus, W. (2014). Nurse staffing and education and hospital mortality in nine European countries: A retrospective observational study. The Lancet, 383(9931), 1824-1830. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62631-8

Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Cimiotti, J. P., Clarke, S. P., Flynn, L., Seago, J. A., Spetz, J., & Smith, H. L. (2010). Implications of the California nurse staffing mandate for other states. Health Services Research, 45(4), 904-921. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01114.x

McHugh, M. D., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Windsor, C., Douglas, C., & Yates, P. (2021). Effects of nurse-to-patient ratio legislation on nurse staffing and patient mortality, readmissions, and length of stay: A prospective study in a panel of hospitals. The Lancet, 397(10288), 1905-1913. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00768-6

Needleman, J., Buerhaus, P., Pankratz, V. S., Leibson, C. L., Stevens, S. R., & Harris, M. (2011). Nurse staffing and inpatient hospital mortality. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(11), 1037-1045. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa1001025

Reading the DNP 703 Module 5 assignment instructions

The posted syllabus grades Paper 4, the Synthesis-Argument Essay, at 100 points and 25% of the course, the heaviest of the four papers. It falls in Module 5, Weeks 12 to 15, whose lessons cover argument essays and research papers, the academic argument, writing editorials and scholarly communication, with the final immersion and the APA formatting quiz. Expect to take a clear position, support it with synthesized evidence, address counterarguments and close with a call to action, in formal APA style. Many students extend the topic of their synthesis essay. Faculty comments on Paper 3 will help you decide which evidence is strong enough to carry an argument. Because this paper closes the course, faculty expect to see feedback from all three earlier papers reflected in its writing and formatting.

How this DNP 703 Module 5 example is built

The introduction uses a "they say, I say" move to state the opposing view and the writer's position in two sentences, then names a specific policy. Body sections synthesize two kinds of evidence, research on staffing and outcomes and evidence from policy changes, each with several sources in conversation. The objections section states the strongest counterarguments fairly and answers each one, including by narrowing the claim. A section explains why the proposal is the right first step. The conclusion restates the case and ends with a specific call to action aimed at named audiences, as an editorial would. The proposal is narrowed deliberately, from staffing mandates to staffing reports, so that every claim stays within what the cited evidence can support.

Where the marks sit in the DNP 703 Module 5 rubric

Grading for the argument essay centers on a position someone could dispute; strong, synthesized evidence; logical reasoning; fair treatment of counterarguments; persuasive but scholarly tone; a compelling conclusion; and correct APA style. Faculty look for arguments that narrow their claim to what the evidence supports. Answering the strongest objection, not a weak one, shows intellectual honesty. A specific proposal and audience make the argument useful beyond the classroom. Using evidence from different designs and settings strengthens the case. Since this is the final paper, faculty also look for growth in voice and formatting since Paper 1. An argument that names a real audience and a real next step reads as scholarship meant to be used, which is the course's larger aim.

DNP 703 Module 5 help with common mistakes

Arguments often state a position everyone already accepts, such as "staffing matters." Choose a claim someone would oppose, then narrow it until your evidence supports it. Another is ignoring counterarguments or answering only easy ones. Name the best objection and respond. Keep evidence synthesized by point, not by article. End with who should do what. If you would like help building your synthesis-argument essay, send your synthesis paper, your position and the prompt to the desk. Then reread the draft as an opponent would and mark every claim that lacks a source. Write the counterargument section first; it often shows you where your own claim needs narrowing.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

More DNP 703 and Doctor of Nursing Practice sample papers

DNP 703 Module 5 questions, answered

Where can I find a free DNP 703 Module 5 sample paper?

The synthesis-argument essay above is complete: an argument for public reporting of nurse staffing in Arizona, built on staffing research and ratio-law evidence, with objections answered.

How many points is DNP 703 Paper 4?

The Synthesis-Argument Essay is worth 100 points and carries 25% of the course grade.

What is a synthesis-argument essay?

An essay that takes a position and supports it with evidence synthesized from several sources, answering counterarguments.

How do I handle counterarguments in an argument essay?

State the strongest objection fairly, then answer it with evidence or by narrowing your claim.

Can I use my synthesis essay topic for the argument essay?

Many students do, since the synthesized evidence becomes the base for the argument; check Canvas for any restrictions.