April Alumni Spotlight: Syntyia Taylor ’11, MSN, ANP-BC
Name: Syntyia Taylor ’11, MSN, ANP-BC
Grad Year:Â 2011
Program: Nursing
Current Title: Nurse Practitioner, Neuroscience Department
In Her Own Words:
What led you to the Nursing Program at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½? Why did you want to explore the healthcare field?
Ever since I could remember, I have always wanted to be in the medical field. I have always had a passion for helping others, but did not know how to go about that. I started my journey in healthcare at another local college majoring in biology with hopes to get into the pre-med program. As I was in these large 300+ classroom size lecture halls, I realized that was not for me and started to explore other options. I then learned about Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s program—the smaller classroom sizes, the flexibility with my schedule, and accommodating atmosphere for nontraditional students—and decided to apply.
Describe your Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ experience. What does Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ mean to you?
My Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ experience was great! I joined many clubs. I got involved. I was the treasurer of the nursing club and assisted on many fundraiser events. I helped with new student orientation and loved to help give the new students tours of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ and tell my experiences. I met some great people that I still call my friends until this day. We studied in the café and in the library all day, and even made plans to continue our education together. Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ was the building block of my advanced education and helped me to obtain my goals/dreams in the nursing field.
What do you do now and why do you love it?
I am currently employed at Catholic Health with the neuroscience department at Mercy Hospital. I am one of the nurse practitioners in the department that manage the care of patients with neurological disorders. As a nursing student, I wanted to work in labor and delivery, but one busy day on the job I went to help out in the ICU and it opened my eyes. I saw the nurses working with critically ill patients, some with neurological disorders and I became intrigued. I later applied for the ICU and always care for the patient’s with neurological disorders. My goal was to be a nurse practitioner and work in a neurology department. I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
How do you give back to the community?
I give back to the community at every chance I get. I belong to Black Nurses Rock of Buffalo. This is a national and local chapter of nurses that go out into our community to assist with education and to be role models for our youth. I volunteer with Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s Pathways to Nursing Success Program. I am also developing a mentoring program to help guide youth through advanced education. This is important to me because I did not have someone to ask questions to when I was going through the nursing programs and had to figure it out on my own. I do not want others to feel the way I did, and if I can help in anyway… it is an honor.
Any advice you like to share to new nurses or someone interested in Ä¢¹½´«Ã½?
I would advise any student that loves the smaller classroom size with faculty that are easily accessible to consider Ä¢¹½´«Ã½. If you are interested in nursing, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ offers a great 2-year nursing program. After, you can work as a registered nurse or advance your education while still working as a nurse and gaining experience. It was the best decision for me and opened up many doors in my nursing career. The things that I learned at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, I still apply in my practice day.