Health care races through Murphy family's gene pool

In 1949, when Joan Murphy enrolled in St. Peter's School of Nursing in Albany with her twin sister, Carolyn, she never dreamed that she would open the door for three generations of her family to become healthcare workers.

When the twins went to work at the hospital, she said, "we were making 87 cents an hour. My husband was dean at the Junior College of Albany, making $2,500 a year. We [had] five children, and I worked the second shift at the hospital for many years. I'd have dinner ready for him and the kids, and I'd go off to work.

"Nursing is such a wonderful profession. It's very rewarding: You get to help people, put them at ease and care for them. You still have time to care for your family."

Second Murphy

Mrs. Murphy's love for nursing rubbed off on her son Brian, who graduated from college with a degree in business and worked for years as a salesman. But he eventually decided to make a career change.

"I was unhappy in the business world," he explained. "I wanted to work with people, help others. I thought about nursing as a career.

"My father had been a guidance counselor, so I went to him for advice. I told him I was unhappy with my job, that it seemed meaningless and that I'd been thinking about going back to college to do something in the healthcare field. I remember him saying, 'Do what you want, study what you enjoy.'"

Mother's example

Within seven years, he had earned an associate's degree, then undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing, and became a licensed nurse practitioner. Today, he works for Albany Gastroenterology Consultants in Albany and the emergency room at St. Peter's Hospital.

"My mother has always been a wonderful nurse," he said. "Her example was instrumental in my choice of healthcare. Over the years, I've heard from patients, neighbors, family and friends about how caring she has always been.

"She was always primarily concerned with treating patients with respect and dignity, and [making sure] that the care they received was the right care and the safest care."

Third Murphy

Mr. Murphy's switch in midlife rubbed off on his daughter, Jessica, 22, who is in medical school at New York Medical College in Valhalla.

"I actually never thought about healthcare as a field that I'd be interested in for a career," she told The Evangelist. "I was always interested in math and science. It wasn't until I got a part-time job one summer at my father's office that I began to be interested in medicine.

"I saw my father and nurses taking care of patients, spending time with them, helping them. I watched the doctors, too, and noticed that everyone worked together as a team."

Studies

Ms. Murphy, who had been studying for an engineering degree at RPI in Troy, applied to Siena College in Loudonville and was accepted into its pre-med program. She knew immediately that she had made the right choice.

"I knew I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father and grandmother," she said. "My father has tried to show me what he has learned from his own experiences. He looks at the big picture, while I tend to be detail-oriented, so his help and advice have always been of great importance to me.

"My grandmother has always been a great example of what good nursing is. She is the perfect example of the traditional nurse."

Assessments

After more than 50 years in the nursing profession, Mrs. Murphy, 80, still works part-time at St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

"I'm older than some of the residents," she quipped. "I love nursing and can't imagine myself doing anything else.

"I'm thrilled that Brian and Jessica have chosen careers in healthcare. Brian is a dedicated, caring nurse practitioner who gives all of his patients the care and concern that they deserve. I'm very proud of him. And I couldn't be prouder of Jessica. She'll make a wonderful physician; she's got what it takes."

(Brian Murphy attended St. Teresa's School and Vincentian Institute in Albany. Jessica Murphy attended St. Thomas School in Delmar, Bishop Maginn High School in Albany and Siena College in Loudonville.)

(12/13/07) [[In-content Ad]]