Free-spirited Priscilla, who does not wear a bra, has an affair with a drug-selling biker who gets her pregnant and leaves her, causing her to seek an abortion.

Priscilla's request to have an abortion is turned down by the hospital, so she gets an illegal one from Jim, with the help of Lynn and Sharon, despite Phred's vehement opposition.

The film was the second made for Roger Corman's new production and distribution company, New World Pictures, following Angels Die Hard.

The idea for the movie came from distributor Larry Woolner, who was involved in the establishment of New World; he suggested to Corman that he make a film about sexy nurses.

[4]Roger Corman said the film: Took shape out of a formula I had been working on for some time: contemporary dramas with a liberal to left wing viewpoint and some R-rated sex and humour.

Von Richthofen and Brown (1971), so we were free to develop the story of the nurses as we wished, as long as there was enough nudity and violence distributed throughout it.

This freedom, once I paid my debt to the requirements of the genre, allowed me to address what interested me... political and social conflicts and the changes they produce.

She and her husband sat down with New World's story editor Frances Doel to form a treatment then they hired Don Spencer to write the script.

[7]Rothman said Corman did not ask for the more progressive elements of the movie, such as the abortion sequence and depiction of Chicano labor issues.

I have always enjoyed writing and directing comedy– I was, in fact, more comfortable working in a comic idiom than a dramatic one–and so I also used comedy to modulate a scene's tone.

Barbara Leigh says her most memorable scene was when her character was nude on the beach, taking orange juice laced with acid from her lover (Richard Rust).

"[10] Daily Variety wrote that the movie "is a good contemporary dual-bill item about the varying romantic experiences of four novice nurses.

The acting level is fair at best, which drags down what otherwise is a well-crafted film... Stephanie Rothman's physical direction is excellent... an exploitation item to be sure, but beyond those angles, general audiences will find a surprising depth.

It is striking not only for its high production values, but also for its sophisticated discourse on 1970s politics – neither of which would necessarily be expected from an exploitation film.

Also unexpected are the drug-induced fantasy sequences, which are more in line with the European art cinema than the rough and ready codes of exploitation.

Rothman's inclusion of a relatively graphic abortion sequence, cut against scenes of one of the nurses having casual sex, still has a powerful impact.

"[13] The movie helped establish New World Pictures as a production company and kicked off a cycle of similar films about young women having adventures while doing a familiar job: Rothman says Corman wanted to make a sequel but she was not interested.