Irene McDonald enrolled in St. Michael's School of Nursing in 1947, joined the Sisters of St. Joseph a year later, and thereafter was closely associated with St. Michael's for more than thirty years.
After graduating from St. Michael's School of Nursing, Sister Irene earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., a master's degree in administration in nursing education, and a doctoral degree in psychiatric nursing at the Catholic University of American, Washington, D.C. Along the way she was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the honour society for nursing.
Sister Irene worked in several of St. Michael's Hospital's nursing units (work that included the indispensible experience of several terms as night supervisor), taught in the hospital's school of nursing, directed its nursing service department, and, lastly, served a ten-year term as assistant administrator, patient care, whil serving concurrently on the hospital's Board of Directors. In these capacities, Sister Irene was part of the making of much of the history here recorded.
