Page 123 - English For Nursing

A discursive essay is a piece of formal writing which discusses a particular issue, situation or
problem. There are three types of discursive essays, however, in this section you will only learn how

to write for and against essay. This essay explains the reasons for and against a particular topic.

Before concluding, the writer must state their opinion on the topic by giving their preference.

Discursive Essay Organization
1. Introduction : presenting information about the topic
2. Body Paragraph : consisting of two body paragraphs (advantage and disadvantage)
3. Conclusion : presenting the writer’s final opinion balanced reflections on the arguments.

Adapted from https://custom-writing.org/blog/discursive-essay

Read another example of a discursive essay.

Water birth has becoming progressively popular recently. It is a process of giving birth in a tub
of warm water. Due to its popularity, it leads to an increased number of hospitals offering this preference
available for woman. On the other hand, women should first consider the potential problems and the
advantages of water birth before choosing this method of delivery.
In general, the main advantage of water birth is that it makes the process of delivery to be more
comfortable. The water seems to reduce stress-related hormones, allowing the mother’s body to produce
endorphins which serve as pain-inhibitors. Immersion in water also often helps lower the blood pressure

caused by anxiety. For this reason, it decreases the possibility of complications from happening.
Additionally, buoyancy promotes more efficient uterine contractions and improved blood circulation
resulting in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother, and more oxygen for the
baby.
As for the negative sides, water birth makes it not easy to monitor child birth progress accurately

as the woman is submerged under the water. This makes it very risky for those who have pregnancies
complications. Another risk is that the waterborne pathogens can be easily transmitted from the mother
to baby, or to the medical staffs. In addition, there is a risk that the contractions will be weakened by the
water even though it helps to decrease the pain. The risk of hypothermia also presents which is why
monitoring the temperature of the water is important. Last but not least, measuring bleeding under water
is tough which leads to the risk of heavy blood loss.
Despite these risks, the medical staff as well as the patients are very optimistic when it comes to

water birth. Some women even choose to do water birth again for their subsequent childbirth. It is believed
that the restrictions in water birth can be reduced significantly by giving more training for the medical
staffs.
Adapted from Oxford English for Careers: Nursing 1 Student’s book

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