Nursing's divided loyalties: an historical case study

Using the historical version of the case study method, this research explored an example of turn-of-the-century nurses' conflicted loyalties. One training school alumnae association was examined to demonstrate that nurses acted out simultaneous loyalty to competing entities: individual graduates attributes vs. associational eligibility requirements; member vs. institutions' needs; and local vs. national nursing concerns. As a result of these divided loyalties, the nurses did not meet the alumnae organizational goals they set for themselves.