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Contributor
Tate Archives & Special Collections
Contributor Institution
Illinois Wesleyan University
Creation Date
1943
Document Type
Report
Description
These documents explore the lived experiences of young women who joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II, focusing on Brokaw Hospital in Normal, Illinois. Using primary documents from 1943–1944, this project highlights the emotional, academic, and financial realities of becoming a wartime nurse. It reflects on the personal commitment, national service, and intense training endured by nursing students. Through the documents of government records this project tells the story of how these women helped shape the future of nursing in America.
Primary Source Analysis
The project draws from three original documents from the U.S. Public Health Service and Brokaw Hospital’s nursing program. The first document is a federal budget report dated 1943–44, which itemizes tuition, stipends, maintenance, and uniform costs for nursing students. This budget underscores how seriously the federal government invested in training nurses during the war, covering all expenses in exchange for service. The seconded document is a withdrawal report listing students who left the Cadet Nurse Corps between September 1943 and March 1944. It includes names, admission dates, reasons for withdrawal (such as “Failure A (0)” or health concerns), and emphasizes the mental and physical demands of wartime nursing education. The third document is a Cadet Nurse Corps application form signed by Dorothy Jean Johnston on February 1, 1944. Her signature and oath represent the deeply personal commitment made by young women to serve their country not through combat, but through care giving. This document humanizes the administrative structure and reminds us that each budget number or withdrawal entry represents a real individual with hopes, fears, and duty. Together, these documents present a vivid portrait of sacrifice, service, and perseverance in the nursing field during a critical time in U.S. history.
Rights
For rights information, contact Tate Archives & Special Collections at archives@iwu.edu.
Source
7-5/4/11 School of Nursing - Cadet Nurse Corps (Folder 3 of 8)