Editor's note: This story was written by Andrew Glyman, Mass General Research Institute History intern, in collaboration with Susan Fisher, BA, RN,, chair of the Publications and Communications Committee for the MGH Nurses Alumni Association and Mary Larkin, MS, RN, Chair of the Alumni Association's History Committee.
Margaret G. Reilly was born in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts, on April 20, 1891. Her career as a nurse spanned five decades, multiple continents, and service in World War I.
With a dedication to excellence and a tireless commitment to improving healthcare for the patients she treated, and a passion for education and public health, Margaret left an enduring legacy of service and compassion.
Early Years and Nursing Career
After graduating from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Nursing School in 1916, Margaret embarked on a journey that would see her become a pioneering figure in the field of dermatology, nursing leadership, education and research.
Shortly after graduation she was employed in the MGH Dermatology Clinic, where her knowledge and experience in the treatment of skin diseases became the focus of her early career.
This career was interrupted briefly when Margaret volunteered for war nursing service at Base Hospital 6 on the outskirts of Bordeaux, France, in 1917.
Service in World War I and the "Bordeaux Belles"
Margaret's commitment to nursing extended beyond the borders of her homeland. During World War I, she served as one of the "Bordeaux Belles," a group of nurses who provided medical care to soldiers and civilians in France.
The Bordeaux Belles were formed in July 1917, on the S.S. Aurania while en route to Bordeaux, France. The Belles were named by Sara Parsons, with Josephine Mulville elected as President and Annie Robertson as Secretary.
Their mission was to provide excellent medical care to wounded soldiers and refugees from the battlefields raging across Europe.
Margaret's service in this capacity not only showcased her dedication to nursing, but also laid the foundation for lifelong friendships and professional connections.
She formed an enduring professional relationship with Richard Cabot, MD, a Mass General doctor serving as chief of medicine at Base Hospital 6. They shared a common ideology pertaining to social science and health.
Post-War Years/Collaborations
Once she returned from the war, Margaret served as a nurse in the Mass General Skin Clinic, providing dermatological care to scores of patients over the next two decades.
She served as Head Nurse, then Supervisor and as an Instructor in the School of Nursing.
In 1935, she collaborated with Jacob Swartz, MD, to co-author the seminal textbook, "Diagnosis and Treatment of Skin Diseases" —a groundbreaking work that provided invaluable guidance to healthcare professionals and laypersons alike.
The book described the medical science of skin disorders and the nursing treatments for those disorders in great detail.
It was a major contribution to the care of dermatological conditions and was the first of its kind where a dermatologist and nurse have cooperated, Dr. Cabot wrote in the book's forward:
“I have long wished that the scientific and practical wisdom accumulated in the skin clinic of the Massachusetts General Hospital might be written down for the benefit of those who really need it.
"What then should be done to arouse concern about skin troubles? We need expert guidance such as Dr. Swartz provides in this book. We need also a nurse's detailed directions for treatment.
"Miss Reilly provides these even better than a doctor could provide them, because she has carried out these treatments expertly for a good many years in the Massachusetts General Hospital Skin Clinic.”
In addition to her work in dermatology, Margaret's passion for research led her to embark on ambitious studies aimed at understanding the psycho-social-emotional aspects of care.
In 1937, she and Cabot launched a 10-year research study on the causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency, a testament to her visionary approach to nursing and her commitment to addressing societal challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. This study was published in 1949.
Margaret continued to work in nursing and healthcare until 1963, when she retired after nearly 50 years of service.
Her Approach to Nursing
Sylvia Perkins, who was Assistant Director at the MGH School of Nursing for 25 years (1941 - 1966), wrote that Margaret “exemplified the best ideals of health teacher, advice-giver, and care-taker.”
She went on to provide some helpful color on Reilly’s unique nursing style:
“She was a character, one-of-a-kind, a rare one, that Peg Reilly. It was not necessary to be in the Skin Clinic to hear her exhorting, showing, explaining to one patient how to do his dressing, to another how to fine-comb the hair of her pediculus child.
"At times Peg was regaling the medical students with her latest follow-up experience in some patient’s home. At other times the voices were subdued, and as one entered the door a cluster of doctors and Peg surrounded a patient, all learning, including the patient.
"What uniqueness of personality made it possible for her to create a nursing situation so full of mutual respect?
"She was a colleague among the doctors, with as much to give in her way as they had in theirs. No blind follower, no subservient handmaiden, no uncertain quaking nurse she. The MGH could have used dozens like her, if there had been more.
"It is a pity that the tape recorder had not been invented in Margaret Reilly’s day; we could play back the sound of her laughter, her lively, emphatic, but kindly instructions to patients, and her indignation when her directions had not been followed.”
Service and Advocacy
Margaret's dedication to nursing extended beyond the confines of the hospital walls.
Her efforts to promote maternal and pediatric healthcare, and her role in founding educational programs at Boston College School of Nursing underscored her commitment to shaping the future of nursing education and practice.
She was a lifelong member of the MGH School of Nursing Alumnae Association serving as elected officer, President and committee member.
Her commitment to public service and health promotion continued into her retirement. She provided courses in mental health and interpersonal relations at the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Framingham, lectured at the Brockton public library, and served as educational director of the Old Colony Association for Mental health and as President of the Brockton League of Women Voters.
Legacy and Commemoration
In recognition of her lifelong dedication to nursing, Margaret G. Reilly was awarded the MGH Nurses Alumnae Association medal in 1961 at the 150th anniversary of MGH — an honor befitting her legacy of service, compassion, and dedication to the nursing profession.
As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Massachusetts General Hospital Nursing School, it is fitting that we remember and honor its accomplished graduates; nurses like Margaret whose contributions to the field of nursing continue to inspire us today.
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