U. S. Cadet Nurse Corps: origin and plan of operation

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Federal Security Agency
U. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
Division of Nurse Education
U. S. CADET NURSE CORPS
Origin and Plan of Operation
On June 15, 194-3,  the President approved the Bolton Act which had been
passed by the 78th Congress; On July 12 funds became available; and within
a week, application forms and instructions were being mailed to some 1,300
accredited schools of nursing which may be eligible to participate in this
new nurse education, program. At the same .time letters describing the rela-
tionship of all nursing and hospital groups were being sent to 'State and
local nursing councils for war service, State Boards of Nurse Examiners,
Presidents of State Leagues of Nursing Education, Directors of Schools of
Nursing, Hospital Administrators, Presidents of Collegiate Schools of Nurs-
ing, Nurse Associations, Public Health Nursing Organizations. High schools,,
colleges, hospitals, and nursing organizations are being urged to give im-
mediate, active support to the recruitment campaign for the enrollment of
65,000 new student nurses in the U. S. Cadet Nurse Corps before June 1, 194-4..
' PREVIOUS     The shortage of nurses which has now become acute was fore-
NURSE - .seen in 194-1 when Congress' appropriated l|l.2 million to the U. S.
TRAINING Public Health Service to use in assisting schools of nursing to
ACT     train additional student nurses and to provide refresher and post-
graduate courses. The appropriation was nearly doubled in 194-2,
#. and altogether a total of $5-3 million was appropriated for the biennium
194-1-43- This year Congress has made available $45 million for a much more
comprehensive program and more.funds will be appropriated as needed to car-
ry out the""purposes of the Bolton, Act.
The nurse training recruitment program, initiated as part of the Na-
tional Defense health activities, was successful within the limitations im-
posed by law. Appropriations during the fiscal years 194-1 and 194-2 aided
12,000 student nurses in 309 schools of nursing.  Equipment and supplies
for libraries and laboratories
iftd salaries for instructors were also pro-
vided. About 35800 inactive nurses were given refresher courses and some
4-,800 graduate nurses received postgraduate training in special fields es-
sential to the war effort.                                                                   »
WAR                        It became evident during 194-2 that nurses could not be
CREATED  trained fast enough to meet the rapidly increasing demands of
ACUTE    both the military and. civilian populations. Graduate nurses, re-.
NURSE.    spending quickly to the call of the armed forces, left the staffs
SHORTAGE of hospitals, health and welfare agencies, schools and institu-
tions.
Civilian needs for nurses mounted in war-boom areas. The influx of
millions of new workers, both men and women, created unprecedented health
problems not only in industrial plants but also in trailer camps and in
communities where crowded, insanitary living quarters menaced the health
of workers and their families. War industries more than doubled the num-
ber of nurses employed for industrial health work. Hospitals were pressed