Dorothy Reilly

Dorothy Reilly was an internationally known nurse, educator and scholar who was instrumental in the development of nursing education in the United States and abroad. She wrote her first book, Lippincott's Quick Reference Book for Nurses, in 1955 and wrote prolifically about nursing education throughout her career. She also was a consultant to nursing schools around the world and taught future nursing school faculty.

Reilly, a member of the Michigan Nurses Association, began her career as a hospital head nurse and then focused on nursing education. She held faculty positions at Holyoke Hospital of Nursing, Columbia University and Wayne State University College of Nursing. In 1987, she retired from Wayne State, became a professor emerita and, until her death, volunteered her time obtaining grants for clinics in Detroit and scholarships for college students.

Reilly first became a teacher during World War II, a time when " nursing school residence...was an effective means of protecting young women and regulating their lives in accord with the values of a 'proper lady.' Reilly, who had studied in a women's liberal arts college, hoped to make teaching more satisfying for students and teachers. She often used unique teaching methods to bring the textbooks to life and strengthen the teacher-student relationship. Her innovative outreach approaches to graduate nursing education were acknowledged by the National Institutes of Health with a decade of funding awards totaling nearly $3 million. Reilly received many awards and honors for her work, including several American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year awards.