About Me
Resource - Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DafQHiJHPQY&feature=youtu.be
Twitter: @ColorMeNurse
The Mosaic of My Life
By Marie Manthey
I became ill at the age of 5 and was hospitalized for a month at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago. It was a traumatic experience in a couple of ways. First of all, my parent’s didn’t know how to prepare me, since they had never been hospitalized themselves.. so they just said I was going to a large building. They left me there for a month, visiting twice a week, and sometimes when one or the other of them came, a very painful procedure was done involving an IM injection of their blood. As a result, I felt not only abandoned but also frightened and confused about the pain associated with their visits.
Florence Marie Fisher is the name of a nurse who cared for me. One day she sat at my bedside and colored in my coloring book. For me, that translated to ‘cared for me’ … and I decided then that I wanted my life to be about that kind of caring.
From that time on I knew I would be a nurse. I entered a hospital diploma program right after high school, and worked for the next four years as staff nurse, assistant Head Nurse, and Head Nurse. During the last of those years I started going to night classes in the community colleges .. not necessarily at first to get my degree.
I was invited to enroll in the degree program at the University of Minnesota, which was one-of-a-kind at that point. After 15 months of full-time study, I received my Bachelors degree in Nursing Administration. Soon after I was recruited into the U of M’s Masters program in Nursing Administration, in what was the last of the 3-quarter Master’s degrees.
Before finishing that degree, I was recruited by Miss Julian to be an Assistant Administrator of Special Projects. This was a new position that gave me an unbelievably valuable opportunity to learn first-hand about leadership and administration. I was able to experience directly not only organizational dynamics, but was also privileged to work with a group of administrators who used Senge’s principles of a learning organization even before he’d written ‘The Fifth Discipline.’
It was during this time that I became one of two Project Directors for Project 32 (at the University of Minnesota), a pilot program to improve hospital services from an interdisciplinary/interdepartmental perspective. This project eventually morphed in to Primary Nursing, and my career became about understanding and implementing organizational changes that result in the empowerment of employees and the accompanying development of healthy workplace cultures.
Throughout the next ten years of my life in nursing administration – first at another community hospital within the Twin Cities, and then at Yale New-Haven Hospital in Connecticut – I freely helped others with Primary Nursing.. Always accepting visitors and often speaking both locally and nationally as well as publishing as time allowed. I raised my two kids, Claire and Mark, with marriage and then post-divorce.
During this period of my career, what had been a manageable, socially acceptable level of alcohol consumption escalated in to full-blown alcoholism. There was an intervention and I entered a 6-week residential treatment program on the East Coast, and have been sober ever since. Our family transitioned from substance-based dysfunction to recovery process, which continues through today. I have been and remain very open about my alcoholism and currently am sharing more about it specifically as it relates to the nursing profession, to help others. Here is a link to a video I produced recently for that purpose
In my first year of sobriety as I was feeling my way forward, there were no positions in Nursing Administration available to me. Instead I wrote my initial book on Primary Nursing .. and returned calls to all who had ever asked me to speak, putting out the word that I was available for speaking and consulting. The result was that Creative Nursing Management, Inc. was born, now the longest-running nurse-managed health care consulting firm in the U.S.
When I finished writing Primary Nursing, the publisher asked me who I wanted to dedicate it to.. and that had to be Florence Marie Fisher, the nurse who had colored in my coloring book when I was five. We tried but weren’t able to contact her then, and I actually gave up on ever actually connecting with her.
My career as a successful entrepreneur has continued ever since. Mark and I came back to Minneapolis, where Claire had already returned to attend the University of Minnesota. We settled back in to this health care-rich, vital community with much better travel connectivity, closer to family, friends and the wonderful professional community of the Twin Cities.
Running a business was not ever something I thought I would do. I didn’t see myself as a businesswoman, but rather as a professional woman. Nevertheless, through many trials and many errors, the company grew. I often say we were successful not because of my business acumen, but rather because my work was authentic and based on real-world realities and values.
The company migrated physically from a small den of activity in the basement of my house, to a photography/commercial tv studio building on the edges of Downtown Minneapolis in 1987. The next location was conveniently close to the airport and the Mall of America. Currently CHCM is headquartered in a virtual/flexible work space in Minnetonka.
I became a grandmother, traveled for work and for fun, remained active in my 12-step community and with my other personal interests. And always stays attuned to the struggles and successes of the Nursing Profession.
In time we grew into a multi-faceted, multi-national firm called Creative Health Care Management. We have helped hospitals around the word design and implement Primary Nursing systems. We developed ‘Leading an Empowered Organization’ (LEO), a leadership program that has reached well over 100,000 people around the world.
They say I have conducted seminars for over 1 million nurses. It doesn’t seem like that many, but when I stop to think about it, I realize it may be right.
I sold the firm when I turned 65 (in 2000) to the employees themselves. Now in semi-retirement (still, in 2017!) I remain involved in the important work of developing nursing practice and improving patient care.. just without the stresses and challenges inherent in leading an entrepreneurial entity.
An additional aspect of my work today involves tackling the challenge of Substance-Use Disorder. A group of us concerned with the problem of shame and stigma associated with SUD formed a Peer Support Network here in Minnesota, and we are partnering with entities involved in all aspects of the situation.
Another vitally important component of my professional life today has to do with my involvement with my alma mater. After transitioning away from day-to-day involvement in the running of CHCM, I became active in the Alumni organization at the U of M School of Nursing, and also became an adjunct faculty member there. In 1999 the University of Minnesota awarded me with an honorary doctorate, which was thrilling beyond compare. Today I am also active with the Heritage Committee at the School of Nursing, and am engaged in other ways as well with the University.
I also continue to be a part of my own and others’ Nursing Salons – a safe space for nurses in all walks of the profession to share conversations and support one another.
My ongoing interest in changing the way we think about workload and resources is part of the same picture. As healthcare incorporates more and more technology, the temptation strengthens to discard the human caring aspects.
As nursing matures as a profession, I am more convinced than ever, that the choice to care – and to express care and compassion by one’s behavior – is the absolutely correct choice nurses must make in order to continue to serve society justly.
Clinical competence must be on one side of the nursing coin, and care on the other. This is the ‘Coin of the Realm’ nurses must choose if, in fact, the covenant between nursing and society is to continue to exist.
May, 2017
Marie Manthey's Nursing Salon 
My Dear Marie:
Being the first to comment “what about you” is a so wonderful moment very similar at the Summit of Sages we just had some days ago!
Coming from a different country, taking almost a day long to get there with a person very special and to myself “the most important nurse we have in Brazil”, your dear friend, Mrs. Lore Cecilia Marx. I knew so much about you since many years ago through Lore’s mind and eyes. And then when I saw you person to person in Oct 13th I think to myself: There is the most famous and wonderful woman that one of my Sages, Lore, wish I could ever know one day.
The time we spent with you and all the people were talking about the same matter was just “amazing”, that there is a meaning in our language some like a wonderful moment that a human might have to into this life. I really would like to thank you and congratulations for all your job around the world. Nothing that Lore always told me was different from that I saw through my own eyes.
Dr. Maya Angelou, John Nelson, Georgia, Leah, Dr. John Howe and every each special person that was there: an extraordinary moment certainly. Tears tears and tears coming from my eyes…
That was not enough: “The Rainbow in the clouds” meant so much to me and, as a magic moment, as soon as I left Minnesota / Saint Paul I started to see a lot of rainbows that the Nature gives to us. I never have seen so many rainbows in my life. From the airplanes windows and another ones. One of them, in Chicago, on Oct 18th, Mr. Bruce Komiske said to me right the time we saw it: “Make a wish!” – I answered that I did not need anymore, because I believe that God heard our pray. I am sure that Lore approves what I am saying to you and I am sure that the way you think about Nursing, Healthcare, Relationship, Primary Nursing, Healing, Social Justice is the same way that people who makes the difference in our World.
We must do together “Somewhere over the Rainbow”.
With love, Lilia.
Try it (copy and paste):
Thanks for the comment Lilia. The Summit continues to reverberate among groups of nurses here. I hope you are enjoying telling nurses in Brazil about the Social Justice topic and generating discussions among them about it’s meaning in nursing and in the world. Last night we had a salon here at my home and it was a remarkable event in that the discussion went deep into meaning….and reflected just how thoughtful and concerned nurses are about the injustices we see every day in health care….and in the world. I truly believe these discussions enrich our lives and can only lead to positive constructive outcomes. Let’s keep it going!
🙂
Please add me to your mailing list. Thank you for such an interesting lecture today. I would enjoy coming to one of your salons. Being a single mom with 3 boys and finishing my Masters in Nursing…schedule is busy but hope I will be able to come some of the time.
Marie,
Please add me to you mailing list. The lecture you gave our class was really engaging and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you,
DEar Marie
My English is a little better but I sttil had a lot of dificult to speak and
read. I wish you e very well weekend Lore Marx
Your English is always just fine. We can always manage to communicate and that is what is important. I look forward to being with you in Brazil or here in the US. Will you be going to the Relationship Based Care Symposium in July? (info on chcm.com). Also, have you heard I am doing the first ever Primary Nursing Practicuum the following week….August 3-8 here in Minneapolis. It will be a great experience and I plan to help people find all the answers they need to overcome the problems of short term patients and 12 hr. shifts…etc, etc.
Werte Marie Manthey,
ich bin Schüler der gesundheits- und Krankenpflegeschule in Mistelbach / Österreich und kann leider kein englisch sprechen oer schreiben, ausser ich würde einen Dolmetsch beauftragen. Man kann halt nicht überall gut sein, aber Pflege und Betreuung von kranken, aber auch von gesunden Personen im Sinne von Gesundheitsförderung liegt mir am Herzen. Ich bewundere Sie und Primary Nursing. Hierzu habeich eine eMail an sie gesandt. Danke wirklich sehr, dass es sie gibt. Würde sehr gerne viel mehr über PN erfahren, die Kostenfrage hemmt mein Bemühen allerdings.Mit freundlichem Gruß aus Österreich
Ms. Manthey:
The national Library of Medicine may be interested in purchasing a copy of Marie Manthey on the Authority of the Primary Nurse. Where can we purchase a copy?
Thank you
My book is The Practice of Primary Nursing and is available through our website, chcm.com….and I believe at Amazon as well. There is another book of importance on this topic, Relationship Based Care, also available from chcm.com and Amazon. Thanks for considering this.
Dear Marie,
I am so happy to have found your website and nursing salon blog. I have never heard of a nursing salon and am thrilled by the whole idea. I have often thought that nurses should be able to get together and talk about their nursing and the nursing profession in regards to moral distress and nursing challenges faced every day. I am masters prepared (nursing education, 2007 graduate) RN who works in a community hospital and teaches nursing for a couple academic institutions. A couple years ago our hospital was working toward Magnet status. I was part of the design team in which we formulated the by-laws for our shared governance. Within those by-laws we included “The Manthey Pledge”. I recently mentioned this pledge to my students and how we live by your words on the unit in regards to our relationships with each other and that it is a pledge that should be a part of every nursing unit. However, I do not know where this pledge originated from. I was hoping that you would be able to give me the reference for it. I believe you and I have a lot in common when it comes to the love of the nursing profession and I look forward to reading your books and blogs!
Respectfully,
Linda Allen MSN, RN
Boca Raton, Florida
Linda, I’m glad you like the idea of a Salon. My dream is to have them going on in every community where nurses are working with patients. What I especially like about them is the fact that they are completely separated from any institution….any hospital or any college. I like the fact that we get together and talk through big and small issues involved in our incredible profession…..and that we are helping each other in doing so. The other thing I love is that we have such wonderful mixtures of ages and experiences. When all these levels and types of life experiences are mixed together in a good conversation….the results are amazing.
I could go on and on about this….but mainly I want you to consider being a catalyst to getting one started in Boca Raton. It doesn’t really take anything but a few friends or ‘like-mindeds’ getting together and figuring out where and when. I do have some print material I can send that will help…..and I could come down and do a ‘kick-off’ if it would help…..I would just need my expenses covered. You don’t need me to get it started, however, and I will do everything I can to support you so it can be sucessful.
And…what you are calling the Manthey Pledge is really called Committment to my Coworker….and copies of the card can be obtained through my company’s website, chcm.com and there is a good description of how to use it in our book, Relationship Based Care.
LInda….let me know how I can be of help.
Dear Marie Manthey,
Hello! I’m Fátima Gerolin, from Brazil. I hope everything is fine! I am very happy to share with you our initial experience with the Primary Nursing in the hospital where I work here in Brazil. Lore Marx is guiding us and we are delighted to have this opportunity.
Respectfully,
Fátima Gerolin
Dear Marie Manthey,
My name is Teena Denny. I attended your presentation in Rapid City, SD a few months ago. I am an employee for the Regional Network in one of their hospitals. I was truely engaged in everything you said and the focus.
I am also currently a nursing student at Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City. Nursing has always been a dream of mine and I am finally able to pursue it. I started classes a couple weeks ago.
Last week one of my instructors, also the Nurse Advisor, Ms.Lerback, took her her class period and used it to introduce us to nursing and how it was all started by showing us the Florence Nighingale film. This had a serious impact on me and further justified why I am there, and in the program. Jani and I had a heart to heart, and I believe we are all in it for the same reason.
I am writing you because I would love to hear you speak again. Your wisdom and knowledge are great. I believe my class and maybe the senior class would greatly benefit from your presence. I don’t know what your availability is like, or what the cost would be for something like this, I just know that it would be wonderful to have you. I know that Ms.Lerback, my advisor, would welcome the opportunity with open arms.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please contact me at the email listed below. It would be of great honor to be in your presence once more and to share in your experiences and wisdom. There is so much to learn!
Thank you and Sincerely,
Teena Denny
denny_t_04@hotmail.com
Thanks so much for your kind remarks. My words only touch those whose hearts are truly aligned with the practice of nursing. You are clearly one of those. I will send you an email with some info re. my availability. Meanwhile….let me know how your education is going. Let’s keep a conversation going on the blog.
Dear Marie,
That would be great! I look forward to hearing from you again soon. It is now going on, I think, week 4. It has been kind of a blur. There is so…much to take in and absorb. Each week we go through a different unit and test on it. It is quite the challenge as I knew it would be. I have learned that many things that I have picked up through the years is not very helpful when compared to the book. I continue to look forward to the journey and will embrace the challenge.Everything is a learning process. I hope all is going well in your “neck of the woods”. That’s what we called it anyway in Wisconsin. Take care and talk to you again soon!
Sincerely,
Teena Denny
I would love to hear you speak and nurses here in Michigan could really benefit from a salon. Our profession has suffered greatly at the hands of for profits and as a result the true calling that nursing is has been buried beneath the bitterness of negativism. I so enjoy your website and often share your wisdom and insight with colleauges.I believe the flame that Nightingale carried is being snuffed out and nurses who believe in the calling need to reignite that light for future nurses. I have a dear patient who was one of the first African American nurses to work in a hospital in Washington D.C.At age 90, her stories have been lost to Alzheimers but the compassion she has within her remains as vivid as ever.
I think a Salon may be starting up in the Rochester Michigan area, and perhaps also in the Traverse City area. I’ll try to post info re. this as I get it. As a historian, I’m sorry the profession missed capturing the experiences of the nurse you mentioned in your note to me.
I had never heard of a nursing salon until now. What a wonderful idea.I would definitely love to start one here in Eastern Massachusetts.
This is so embarrassing. Until very recently, I had never heard of you. You are interviewing my manager for the publication,Creative Nurse and that is how I came to hear about you.
Like some nurses on this blog, I am on a Master’s program, my interest is in Education. I often feel I’m bubbling with passion and enthusiasm for the future of nursing education but have no one to exchange such ideas with. I look forward to more conversation with you.
Jennifer, first let me apologize for not responding sooner, sometimes I forget to check the blog! And please don’t feel embarrassed about not knowing me…..there is more info. re. me on the website of the company I founded, Creative Health CAre Management, (chcm.com). Please do get Salons started in your area. I will do anything I can to help. If you want to talk, call me at 612-827-1611. There are a couple of articles in Creative Nursing and one in Nursing Forum an online Journal. That one is called A TALK FOR ALL TIMES.
I’m having one tomorrow night and will hopefully add a note about it on Friday of this week.
PS. I love your entusiasm and energy.
I just love the idea of the Salon. I think there are so many nurses out there who truly love their patients and love nursing…but sometimes seem just so bogged down. I am a nurse educator in Connecticut…and watch that enthusium in some of our new nurses diminish. A place in which everyone to gather and talk….and share….sounds like Heaven. We all need to find a way to feel a part of nursing…and to always keep it near and dear. Conversations are a great way to help.
Are there any Salons in Connecticut?
Not that I know of….However, a consultant with my company, Creative Health Care Management is organizing a conference call about setting up a virtual Salon. I’m not sure what that would look like, but Iif you are interested in that idea, let me know and I’ll try to keep you posted. Otherwise, I encourage you and anyone and everyone to become a host for a Salon in your community. It really isn’t at all hard, and within a short time, the pay-back is such that you wonder why we haven’t been doing this forever. If you or a couple of you are interested, I have some info and a bib of articles I can send you. After you read the stuff, I will be happy to talk to you and answer any questions you might have. My email is mmanthey@chcm.com and I welcome an email from you if you would like me to send you some print info…..
Marie,
After 40 years working full time in nursing, I have been riffed. I am absolutely devastated. My family states that it is OK with them because I needed a break. Two of my six children are nurses. I was mentoring one nurse in the MSN program at North park University and two other nurses in the BSN to NP program at University of Illinois. Presently, I am completing my Healthcare Leadership Certificate from University of Illinois. My intention with the nursing certificate was to warm up for the Nurse Practitioner Master’s program then complete my DNP. Recently I was given the opportunity to mentor nurses in the Wound Center, Endo Lab, and Gero-Psych. To my surprise I found that I loved the Geriatric Psych population over age 65. In the zip code 60640 the largest amount of antipsychotic drug use in the United States was located where I practiced. I thought my role could be to go out into the community of 25 nursing homes to assess and evaluate patients need for acute psychiatric hospitalization verses adjusting medication in collaboration with the Psychiatrist. Also, I thought I could be of assistance to the nurses caring for the patient by helping them figure out how to best care for that individual patient through understanding of the diagnosis and treatment.
I am ready to host a Nursing Salon at my home or else where, “I have the time, I am a nurse”.
Coogan RN from Chicago
(My niece is Coogan RN in Minnesota)
Sheila, I am so sorry you have been riffed. Believe me I know the feeling. As truisms are true….I am compelled to state the one about doors closing so other doors can open. Please do start a Salon in Chicago. There is one in some suburbs….and Chicago could probably support 20 or more.
You must know you are on the right track with your clinical interest…you may be able to peruse your dream as a consultant….offering nursing homes a service that will improve the quality of their work…(and don’t forget to show reimbursement benefits to your service)!
Let me know if I can help in any way. If you go to the website chcm.com and click on my picture, you will get I into my email.
Dear Marie,
Yesterday, I received an email from a respected colleague of mine that read: “Dear Doris, Hope all is well with you and that you are having a peaceful weekend (probably not possible for you however).
I was asked the other day where the concept of “Primary Nursing” originated but I am ashamed to say I don’t know. Are you able to provide me with this information please? Thanks a bunch, Olga
My reply was instantaneous: Marie Manthey.
Marie, I think you will enjoy knowing that here in Canada, you have many followers. Restructuring, re-engineering, LEAN and any other fad, have not erased the notion that continuity of care and continuity of caregiver are central pillars for excellent nursing care and patients’ outcomes.
The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), has in fact developed position statements on this very issue, I would be delighted to send these to you and your amazing team. We also have Best Practice Guidelines – 48 of them – the majority clinical and eight related to healthy work environments. The BPG on Client Centred Care speaks specifically to continuity of care and continuity of caregiver as central to client centred care, and provide Primary Nursing as the best organizational model to deliver on these concepts. .
Marie, how can I connect with you to invite you to speak at a conference?
Warm regards from a long standing fan of your work!
Doris
Dr. Doris Grinspun, RN, MSN, PhD, LLD(hon), O.ONT.
Chief Executive Officer
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
158 Pearl Street, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1L3
Direct: 416-408-5600 / Toll free: 1-800-268-7199 x 206
Cell: 647-505-1531 / Fax: 416-599-1926
Email: dgrinspun@rnao.ca/ http://www.RNAO.ca
Speaking Out for Health, Speaking Out for Nursing
Hi Marie I just wanted to say thanks for speaking at the MN School of Business Nursing Forum Last week. As a student I took a lot away from it. Your story is a powerful one, hopefully I too can color in a few patients’ coloring books as I am sure you have countless times. I mentioned you in my blog for Raney’s class I hope that is ok 🙂 thanks again.
Thanks Again
Pete Vanderlinden
http://petesrnperspective.blogspot.com/2013/02/leadership-and-dynamic-adaptation.html
Marie i would also like to know when you are speaking at a conference. I have created the “Coogan RN” model. If you have time I would like to discuss it with you and other nurse colleagues.
The “Coogan RN” Model was last discussed at Connie Hardy’s home at a nursing salon attended by myself and 3 other nurses.
Sheila Coogan RN
sheilarn22@yahoo.com
Marie: because our River Valley Nursing Center (see website) has one of its missions as promote the leadership of nurses, I am interested in having you formally or informally give us some insight into some actions we might add to our repetoire to continue this mission. Barbara Zell, Executive Director, River Valley Community Partnership
I’d love to have a conversation with you to find ways to support your mission. I’ll call the center and try to connect directly with you Barbara. Thanks for the note.
Marie: you can call Monday afternoon at the Nursing Center. After 1pm.
Marie: is your Nursing Salon on Thursday still on? If so, I did register 4 of us but now 3 of us are coming. I have 6pm….address? Looking forward to it.
Marie,
Do you have any future speaking engagements for 2013?
Marie,
I just want you to know the hour we spent together on Thursday at the Symposium over soft drinks was the highlight of the week for me! I look forward to continuing my work with you and the rest of the team, and am certain I still have much to learn from you.
Warmest regards,
Dan
Mrs marie,am in Nigeria in the university of calabar,studying nursing,i wish I could see you face to face,to tell you all that is in my mind,you are a genius.
Wouldn’t it be fun to skype? Actually, a nurse named Uduak ARchibong who graduated from the school of midwifery in Calabar has written a book on Primary Nursing. The title is A Guide to the Introduction of Primary Nursing and was written while the author was getting a PhD at the University of Hull in England. I believe she returned to her career in Nigeria. Do you know of her?
Dear Marie,
I’m so happy to have opportunity to look deeper to the concept of Primary Nurse via your Blog. It’s more real and I feel closer to your ideas. I’m writing to you from Poland where I’m dreaming of implementing the Primary Nurse ideas and assumptions in the nurses’ s minds. Is it possible in my country? I do not know… but I’d like to try. I’m so impressed by what you were doing all your life and how you consecrated this idea. If you’d have any advice for me I’m fully opened to ideas.
Dear Ewa,
First I must apologize for being absent from the blog. Sometimes other parts of my life just seem to take over and it is easy for me to ‘forget’ to check for comments. I am delighted you want to try Primary Nursing in Poland. I actually visited a School of Nursing in Lublin in 2001. I met a faculty member from that SON named Jolenta ?? at the ICN Centennial in London who was teaching PN. She invited me to consult/present there and I had a lovely visit. She was passionate about Primary Nursing. I have had enough experience in other European countries to know the Primary Nursing is possible EVERYWHERE. I don’t think any of our books are translated into Polish, but so many nurses speak/read English, our literature should be usable. We have a brand new book out published a few month ago titled, Primary Nursing.
Dear Marie,
I am a nurse working on the isle of Wight UK and having delivered LEO as a licenced programme facilitator under the validation of Leeds University, I was most sad when this finished here, and having trawled the blogs I can see the same values and excellent good sense that was in it are still alive with you and the many commentators.
We used to have clinical consultants working on the Leo workshop as participants along with all levels of staff, an event which is sadly rare now.
I am so glad to find your blog and the company of so many like minded people.
thank you
Sandie
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