Distinguished alum, nursing trailblazer Marie Manthey passes away

Marie Manthey, MNA ‘64, BSNA ’62, FRCH, FAAN, a trailblazer in nursing and one of the school’s most distinguished alums, passed away on Dec. 12 at her home in Minneapolis.

Manthey, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Administration degree from the University in 1962 and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration in 1964, was a visionary nurse leader, health care professional, author and entrepreneur. She was one of the founders of Primary Nursing, now known as relationship-based care (RBC), which has become the gold standard of nursing care delivery used throughout the world.

“Marie Manthey was a true legend, whose impact extended from the individual heart to the very soul of nursing and society,” says Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP. “Her courage, authenticity, and transparency transformed academia, clinical care, administration, and leadership. We offer our deepest gratitude.”

In 1979, Manthey founded the health care consulting company Creative Health Care Management, based on the RBC delivery model. Through her work she has influenced generations of nurses and supported the development of nursing in more than 2,000 client health care organizations around the world. She also provided technical guidance to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its study of Primary Nursing, published in 1983.

A prolific author with more than 100 published articles, she received The American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award in 2002 for The Practice of Primary Nursing, in 2004 as a co-author of Relationship-Based Care: A Model for Transforming Practice, and again in 2016 as co-author of Primary Nursing: Person-Centered Care Delivery System Design.

She is the founding editor of Creative Nursing, a peer-reviewed journal in its fourth decade of publication, and she co-founded of the Nurses Peer Support Network, which provides support for nurses working toward sobriety and re-entry into the nursing workforce. She was an avid member of the School of Nursing Heritage Committee, ensuring future generations appreciate the University of Minnesota’s impact on nursing.

In 1994, Manthey became just the fourth American nurse elected a fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in the United Kingdom. She received an honorary degree from the University of Minnesota in 1999, the first from the School of Nursing. In 2015, she was named a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing – its highest distinction – for extraordinary contributions to the nursing profession, sustained over the course of a career. In 2022, she received the Outstanding Achievement Award, which is the highest award the University of Minnesota bestows upon its alumni.