PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Dr. Marjorie Clowry Dobratz, Nurs ’69, Grad ’72
Lakewood, Wash.
Marjorie had one goal for her professional life: teach and mentor nursing students. Looking back on her career, she knows her Marquette experience helped her achieve that goal.
The professor emeritus at the University of Washington–Tacoma held several academic positions, including nursing program director and coordinator of the Master of Nursing program at UWT. She also chaired the Department of Nursing at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, where she began her passion and advocacy for the Roy Adaptation Model. The idea of taking a holistic approach to nursing care made a lasting impact on Marjorie. She ultimately served on the executive board of the Roy Adaptation Association.
Marquette’s Jesuit values, coupled with a strong nursing curriculum, influenced a significant portion of Marjorie’s research. While pursuing her master’s degree at Marquette, Marjorie had a moving encounter with a patient at Milwaukee County General Hospital that spurred her interest in end-of-life care. She went on to write numerous articles on terminal pain, spirituality and other palliative care issues, as well as the Life Closure Scale, a measure of psychological adaptation in individuals nearing death.
Marjorie thanks her family, including her children, for their support of her professional, academic and personal endeavors. “I am truly blessed, and it’s been a remarkable journey,” she says. “I can only say that I was at the right place at the right time.” She stays busy during retirement by raising her active 12-year-old grandson, spending time with family and participating in church activities.
Fun Fact:
Marjorie’s dream dinner guest would be Sr. Callista Roy, who developed the Roy Adaptation Model and founded the Roy Adaptation Association.