April Alumni Spotlight: Syntyia Taylor ’11, MSN, ANP-BC

Alumni Alumni Spotlight Careers Education Nursing

Name: Syntyia Taylor ’11, MSN, ANP-BC
Grad Year:  2011
Program: Nursing
Current Title: Nurse Practitioner, Mercy Hospital Neuroscience Department

In Her Own Words:

What led you to the Nursing Program at Trocaire? 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 Trocaire’s program—the smaller classroom sizes, the flexibility with my schedule, and accommodating atmosphere for nontraditional students—and decided to apply.

Describe your Trocaire experience. What does Trocaire mean to you?

My Trocaire 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 Trocaire 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. Trocaire 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 Trocaire’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 Trocaire?

I would advise any student that loves the smaller classroom size with faculty that are easily accessible to consider Trocaire College. If you are interested in nursing, Trocaire 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 Trocaire, I still apply in my practice day.