In Memoriam: Donna Kaye Diers, 1938-2013

Donna Diers, the Annie W. Goodrich Professor Emerita and sixth dean of the Yale School of Nursing, died late last month at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She was 74 years old.

A native of Sheridan, Wyoming, Dr. Diers obtained a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Denver in 1960. She earned a master’s degree in nursing from Yale University in 1964 and a Ph.D. from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. Diers joined the faculty at the Yale School of Nursing in 1964. She was named an associate professor in 1970 and full professor in 1990. She served as dean of the nursing school from 1972 to 1985. For eight years she was editor of Image-Journal of Nursing Scholarship.

Dr. Diers’ book, Speaking of Nursing: Narratives of Practice, Research, Policy, and Profession (Jones and Bartlett, 2004), was named book of the year by the American Journal of Nursing.

In 2010, she was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing. Below is a video of that award ceremony.