In the United States, this diploma is usually awarded by hospital-based nursing schools.
Diploma programs in the United States require 2–3 years of training prior to graduation.
The Cherry Ames series of children's books was created to encourage girls to go into the nursing profession during World War II.
[1] Although the number of hospital-based nursing schools continues to decrease, many still exist.
Some require that non-nursing prerequisite courses be completed at another school prior to admission or coordinate their program with classes at a nearby school, though many are still self-contained.