Pesut worked as a staff nurse and clinical nurse specialist for
United States Army Nurse Corps during the 1970s and then joined the University of Michigan's School of Nursing as an associate professor in 1978. At Michigan he served as psychiatric clinical nurse specialist and educational nurse specialist from 1981 until 1984. He served as associate institute director and director of nursing services of William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute from 1984 to 1987. In 1987, Pesut returned to the
University of South Carolina College of Nursing as an associate professor and associate dean for administrative affairs. In 1997, Pesut left the University of South Carolina and was appointed as professor and department chair of environments for health at
Indiana University School of Nursing (1997–2005). He then became the associate dean for academic programs and director of the PhD program. From 2010 till 2012, he was associated with IUPUI as a professor and senior faculty fellow. Pesut then joined the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in 2012 as a professor of nursing and director of the Katharine J Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership and was appointed as Katherine R. and C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership. Pesut is the principal of a coaching and consulting business. ==Research==