CHANGING FACE of NURSING - School of Nursing - University of ...

changing face
michael petty:
Studying the Implications
In the 1970s, when Michael Petty was a psy -
chotherapist working with mentally ill adults,
few patients were able to get well and stay well.
“It was frustrating,” he says. “We did our best, but
our patients faced enormous barriers.”
STOCKBYTE/GETTY IMAGES
WHAT NURSES KNOW
So Petty shifted gears and decided to help people get better
physically. Although he had been a pre-med student in college, he
opted for nursing. “I wanted to know what nurses know,” he says.
Medicine, he explains, is like a snapshot, while nursing is like a
videotape: “The physician sees a patient for a few minutes, but
nurses have continuing contact. We can see and communicate subtle
changes in the patient to the medical team. And we’re aware of
the implications of illness and treatment for patients and families.”
When Petty graduated from nursing school in 1980, male
nurses were a rarity. But he has never felt discriminated against.
“Some might even say that my gender has been a help since people
often mistake me for a doctor,” he says. “But I’m not convinced. I do
know that I have worked hard to build good relationships with all
members of the team, including doctors and nurses, patients and
families. Those relationships are integral to effective care.”
CONSULTANT AND EDUCATOR
Since completing his master’s degree at the School of Nursing,
Petty has worked at the University of Minnesota Medical Center,
Fairview, as a cardiothoracic clinic nurse specialist. In this role,
Petty functions as a consultant and educator for patients and staff.
He may help nurses start a heart patient’s IV or counsel a
family about what to expect when a heart transplant patient
returns home from the hospital. He also works on hospital-wide
initiatives to improve care or implement new procedures.
Michael Petty
PHOTO: TIM RUMMELHOFF
A LEGACY FOR THE PROFESSION
Petty is currently completing a PhD. His research focuses on family
caregivers of patients with left ventricular heart-assist devices.
“I want to find out what their lives are like and what we can do to
make them better,” he says.
He hopes that his research will help improve best practices.
“I won’t be in this career forever,” he says. “And after so many years
in the field, you feel like you want to leave something behind, a
legacy for the profession.” ˘
fall/winter 2008
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