Loretta C. Ford, the mother of nurse practitioner education, and Mary Donnelly, an island public health nurse for nearly 60 years, are Nurse Legends. On local and global levels, Dr. Ford and Ms. Donnelly have met personal and professional challenges and persevered, transforming nursing practice, communities and patient lives.
Island Nurse is the story of Mary Donelly, the nurse and heart of Block Island, RI. Her stamina, courage, and 55 years of care lead Block Islanders to call her St. Mary. At 85, May D knows more than any other individual about what it means to live on a rural New England island, to be a public health nurse, Block Island’s History, and individuals’ stories about resilience and survival on Block Island.
The light-hearted story of the 90-year old public health nurse who invented and persisted against all odds in the development of the nurse practitioner role.
Island Nurse
2013
33 minutes, 48 minutes
Susan Hagedorn
Susan Hagedorn
Susan Hagedorn, Tijana Petrovic, Jerry Risius, Saman Maydani, Will Gasner
Elizabeth Donahue
Eric V. Hachikian
Disruptive Innovator
2012
34 Minutes
Susan Hagedorn
Susan Hagedorn
Tijana Petrovic
Elizabeth Donahue
Brandon C. Vaccaro