M. Patricia Donahue

Pat Donahue, a respected spokesperson for nursing history, issues, and ethics, is currently writing a biography of Isabel Maitland Stewart, which will be published by Edinborough Press. Stewart (1878-1963) was a prolific author and leader in the development of nursing school curriculum. She wrote three classics: The Standard Curriculum for Schools of Nursing, A Curriculum for Schools of Nursing and A Curriculum Guide for Schools of Nursing. Stewart co-authored A Short History of Nursing.

Before retiring in 2006, M. Patricia Donahue served as Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor at The University of Iowa College of Nursing. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Pat earned her R.N. from St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing, Cleveland, and a B.S.N. and M.S. degrees from The Ohio State University, where she served as a faculty member for five years. She received her Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education, with an emphasis on history and philosophy from The University of Iowa.

She has taught nursing history for the last thirty years and is actively involved in historical research. She is the author of Nursing, The Finest Art: An Illustrated History.