Commitment to Patients Is Driven by a Lasting Promise

Mikela Pettigrew, B.S.N., RN, OCN, a clinical nurse at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, exemplifies extraordinary compassion and dedication. Every day, she fulfills a promise she made as a young caregiver.

Her drive and inspiration for oncology nursing stems from her experience as the child of two patients with cancer who were treated at MD Anderson. For Mikela, helping patients is much more than a job — it’s a calling. She views her work as a way to contribute to a place of healing and hope, honoring the care that extended her mother’s life and helped her father survive cancer. 

As a teenager, Mikela’s world changed when her parents were diagnosed with cancer. Her mother, Christine, faced terminal kidney cancer, while her father, Mike, was treated for colorectal cancer. Thanks to MD Anderson, Mikela’s mother was able to see her graduate from high school. Sitting at her mother’s bedside, Mikela found her purpose and made a promise: She would become a nurse at MD Anderson.

For more than five years, Mikela has been an inpatient leukemia nurse at MD Anderson providing compassionate, patient-centered care. Drawing from her experience as a caregiver, Mikela strives to create an environment where her patients feel accepted, supported and at home. She approaches each patient with the same empathy and dedication she would offer her family, ensuring they receive not only expert treatment but also a sense of comfort and belonging. 

Mikela’s purpose now extends beyond the bedside. As chair of MD Anderson’s Nursing Practice Congress, she is passionate about elevating the oncology nursing profession by collaborating with nurses and colleagues to improve patient care and advance nursing practice. In this role, she actively supports the institution’s journey toward a sixth consecutive ANCC Magnet Recognition Program designation. Mikela splits her time between caring for patients on the leukemia unit and leading initiatives to amplify nurses’ voices in decision-making. 

Treating patients as an oncology nurse on the front line, Mikela contributes to innovative advancements in leukemia treatment, and she sees patients benefiting from groundbreaking therapies. As a nurse with insight into the latest developments in cancer research and care, she views each step forward as a fulfillment of the promise she made years ago. Her dedication inspires hope in her patients and reinforces her commitment to MD Anderson’s mission.