As an internationally recognized nursing professional, Moreen Donahue has experienced many milestones in her career, taking her from a bedside nurse to a top nursing executive and now worldwide lecturer. Her after-hours passion shines when raising money for Trumbull”™s Kennedy Center.
Donahue”™s father was a surgeon and her mother was a nurse. She says she was preordained to become a medical professional.
“Medicine was part of the fabric of my life from the day I was born,” said Donahue.
The oldest of eight children, born in Bridgeport Hospital, Donahue was a former candy striper who accompanied her dad on hospital rounds and worked in his private office.
“My parents were visionaries who recognized that nursing was a noble profession,” said Donahue.
Donahue is the chief nurse executive and vice president of patient care services at Danbury Hospital.
Donahue”™s nonwork passion is contributing to the Kennedy Center, work inspired by her 29-year-old son, Michael, who was born with Down syndrome.
Donahue also has two other children with her husband Steve: Christine, who works alongside her father as a lawyer in Fairfield, and Steven Jr., a teacher at Fairfield Prep.
“Mike really is the light of our lives for the whole family; he has amazing accomplishments,” said Donahue. “He graduated from Fairfield Prep and works at Fairfield University. If you”™ve ever been in the coffee shop and snack bar at Fairfield U. you know Mikey.
“We”™re so proud of him, he loves that whole environment and he”™s found a way to be part of that community. It”™s a banner year for the two of us, he”™s celebrating his 10th-year reunion from high school and I”™m celebrating my 40th reunion at Boston College.”
Donahue earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Boston College; a Master of Science in education from the State University of New York at Cortland; and Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Case Western Reserve University.
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“One of the most rewarding things about the nursing profession is using my advanced education and research to create programs that directly impact patient outcomes,” said Donahue. “I also appreciate the flexibility that nursing provides to combine both family and work. It”™s a versatile field with abundant opportunities for different types of challenges.”
She has traveled and lectured about nursing in Italy, France, Ireland and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and brought her advances and attitude toward nursing with her. She encourages nurses the world over to take leadership roles and to advance their knowledge .
Though Donahue loves to travel and educate nurses in both hemispheres, it is at home that she does some of her most impressive work.
“My parents strongly believed in family values,” said Donahue.
The Donahue”™s are extraordinarily involved in the Kennedy Center, a private, community-based rehabilitation organization, which responds to needs of persons with disabilities by offering community services.
“It”™s a wonderful organization that was founded by a group of parents and friends who were concerned for people with disabilities,” said Donahue.
Her daughter, Christine, founded the organization”™s annual cabaret and auction. Donahue sits alongside her husband and daughter on the board for the cabaret committee.
“She always had a love for theater and dance in general, and she founded it while still in college in order to do something for people with disabilities,” said Donahue. “Mike has progressed to the point that he actually stars in it, it”™s advanced to the point where it”™s actually a sellout and we are able to net around $60,000 each year.”
The Donahues are also heavily involved in the Kennedy Center”™s golf tournament which pairs the players with junior golfers and offers a scholarship.
“The Kennedy center is the one organization that I and my family devote a lot of effort toward,” said Donahue. “It”™s a big family draw for a lot of reasons; it”™s important to us.”
Donahue was even able to spend time teaching a seminar about Down syndrome and further spread awareness in Ireland at the University College Cork”™s Intellectual Disabilities tract.
“It”™s been a remarkable journey,” said Donahue.
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