Cadet Nurse Corps
(CNC)
 I. Development of the CNC
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-. Foundation of the CNC
-. Recruitment Campaign
-. Strength of the Corps
-. Acknowledgement
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Foundation of the Cadet Nurse Corps
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After entering World War II, it became obvious that America would soon face a critical shortage of nurses nationwide. As the war progressed, the demand for nurses increased dramatically. 

Picture Source: The girl that is pledged to humanity Advertisment of the Prudential Insurance Company
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Somehow, massive numbers of nurse students had to be trained. Therefore, the instructional staff and the facilities of existing civilian schools of nursing needed to be strengthened. An emergency measure was considered faster and more economical than reinstituting the Army School of Nursing or building similar military schools based in hospitals. Additionally, the nurse students could receive accelerated training and their services could be used while they were in training. This way, more graduate nurses could be freed for military service overseas. These plans meant that civilian and military communities received substitute nurse care from student nurses on the home-front.
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The plans became concrete when Representative Frances Payne Bolton of Ohio introduced a bill on 29 March 1943. 
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Frances Payne Bolton
 ...... The bill requested the establishment of a special government program to facilitate the training of nurses. The nurse applicants should be granted subsidization of nursing school tuition and associated expenses as well as expedited (i.e., very shortened) training. In exchange, it was demanded that the applicants provide “military or other Federal governmental or essential civilian (nursing) services for the duration of the present war.“ In addition, the bill provided certain funds for participating accredited nursing schools. This measure tried to ensure that as many nursing schools as possible would take part in the Cadet Nurse program. 
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The Nurse Training Act (known as the Bolton Act) passed through Congress unanimously. The bill was signed by the President on June 15, 1943, and became effective as Public Law 74 on July 1, 1943. 
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Picture Source: Enlist in a Proud Profession, PHS recruitment brochure
US Surgeon General 
Thomas Parran
 
 
 

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 The Cadet Nurse Corps (originally designated the “Victory Nurse Corps“) would be administered by the United States Public Health Service (PHS). The Division of Nurse Education was established in the PHS to supervise the Cadet Nurse Corps and was answerable to US Surgeon General Thomas Parran. Parran appointed Lucile Petry, who was an actual registered nurse (RN), Director of the Cadet Nurse Corps. 
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Picture Source: Enlist in a Proud Profession, PHS recruitment brochure
Lucile Petry,
Director of the Cadet Nurse Corps
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The Nursing schools throughout the country were informed of the new Corps and invited to join. Schools who wanted to take part in the Cadet Nurse program had to fulfill minimal requirements. The school had to be accredited and be affiliated with a hospital approved by the American College of Surgeons. The staff and the facilities had to be adequate, but superior standards were not required. Schools with substandard conditions were not rejected, but supported with funds from the Corps to improve their training possibilities. When the Cadet Nurse program ended, 1,125 from 1,300 of the Nation’s nursing schools had participated. 
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Recruitment Campaign
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After the foundation of the Corps a huge publicity and recruitment campaign started. For this purpose, the Cadet Nurse Corps received $13 million of donated publicity and technical assistance in its first year.
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Everything was done to convince young women that it would be the best choice for them and their country to join the Corps. There were many other attractive and higher-paying jobs for women available during wartime, and therefore this was no easy task. 
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Additionally, parents had to be encouraged to support the decision of their daughters to join the Corps. Many parents worried that the training in nursing schools and nurse duties might expose their daughters to infectious diseases, unsafe conditions, and unsupervised proximity to men. .... Picture Source: Eastmen Kodak Company advertisement
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A big part of the advertising campaign included the promise that nursing would be a “lifetime education in a proud profession“ with excellent future prospects. In addition, nurses would make “excellent wives and mothers, capable homemakers, and competent leaders in their community.“ It was pointed out that Cadet Nurses received free training with pay – a big attraction for women from poorer social backgrounds to get an education that was unaffordable otherwise. 
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All available media was used for the publicity and recruitment campaign. The Cadet Nurse Corps was featured in movie newsreels, radio soap operas, variety shows, billboards and newspapers. Several advertisements and articles were published in popular magazines like the Cosmopolitan, Collier’s, Vogue, Ladies’ Home Journal and Harper’s Bazaar. Color posters were prominently placed at department stores, post offices, pharmacies, hospitals and schools. Additionally, several million leaflets were distributed all over the country. Cadet Nurses marched in patriotic parades; they were present at launching of Liberty ships and at war-bond rallies. Celebrities like Ms. Eleanor Roosevelt or Ms. Winston Churchill made some appearances with the Cadet Nurses. 
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For example, prominent companies who supported the Cadet Nurse Corps were the Eastman Kodak Company, Pond's Cold Cream, Kotex, Kleenex, Pepsi-Cola, Old Spice, Sanka Coffee and National Biscuit Company.  Their commercial prestige and wide popularity as wholesome “All-American” companies gave the recruiting effort a big boost.
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continue to:
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Foundation of the CNC
Recruitment Campaign
Strength of the Corps
Acknowledgement
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[ I. Development ]..[ II. Facts about the CNC ]..[ III. Uniforms ]..[ IV. Sources ]
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