Nurses are increasingly using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for relief of personal health issues. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how nurses' TCM experiences affect nurses' professional identities and practices. Symbolic interaction is the research framework used. Mixed methods of coding facilitate data analysis. Sociological theories explain the findings. The study included 20 semistructured interviews of 10 practicing nurses and 10 faculty members in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. The data provide the basis for several new conclusions. Nursing subspecialty practice norms determine how TCM experience affects nurses' professional identities and nursing practices. Mutable nursing careers enable nurses to incorporate TCM into their nursing ''toolbox.'' Among the significant findings from this study is that nurses try TCM and share that information with others, creating inroads for integration of TCM into Western medicine.Keywords acupressure, acupuncture, CAM use, integrative medicine, moral career, mutable self, nurse, symbolic interaction, traditional Chinese medicine Today, Americans are increasingly using and personally paying for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (Barnes, Bloom, & Nahin, 2008;Nahin, Barnes, Stussman, & Bloom, 2009). This trend also prevails among registered nurses, which is not surprising because many of the CAM therapies such as massage and healing touch are similar to nursing practice techniques used over the years. What is more interesting is that many venture outside of the more common CAM therapies to try various forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that are less well known or understood within Western medical circles. Although scientific studies are underway to prove efficacy of TCM in treating specific medical problems, for the most part, nurses who try TCM are choosing a medical option often considered risky because outcomes largely lack empirical validity.How is it then that registered nurses, trained in Western medicine, are willing to try TCM to treat their personal illnesses? Once having had that experience, how does a nurse's TCM use affect his or her professional identity? Do nurses keep this knowledge private or risk discussing their break from Western medicine with their colleagues, patients, families, and or friends? How do nurses incorporate this information and experience into their nursing practices if at all? This article presents the results of a qualitative case study that explored these questions to learn how use of TCM affected nurses' professional identities and nursing practice.