Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Spotlight: Tiana Byrd ’22, M’25

By: Erik Pedersen, Content Strategy Director

BALTIMORE – When Tiana Byrd ’22, M’25 decided to join the nursing profession after a three-year stint as a school teacher, she knew early on that wanted to ultimately become a nurse practitioner. Byrd wanted to not only see her own patients, but also develop a lasting connection with them in a way that is not typically possible in a hospital setting.

Byrd earned her first degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University after completing the School of Nursing’s Accelerated 2nd Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in August 2021, and she returned to campus the following fall after NDMU launched its new Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (A-GNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) programs.

After completing the FNP program while navigating through a pregnancy and maintaining two part-time nursing jobs, Byrd and her fellow classmates will be celebrated in Marikle Chapel on Friday afternoon after completing their coursework this December. Learn more about her decision to become a nurse, her experiences as a student at NDMU, and her future career plans below:

What was your academic background prior to becoming a nurse, and what interested you in joining the profession?

My first degree was an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in biology from Morgan State University. I thought about becoming a nurse or a pharmacist during that time period, but after graduating from Morgan State I ultimately became a science teacher for Baltimore County Public Schools for three years.

That was a bit of a challenging time – I felt like I was still missing my purpose in life. I started to get pulled toward nursing again. My grandmother is a nurse, and I sat down with one of her colleagues, who discussed her experiences and what being a nurse would actually look like. After that conversation, I started seriously looking into nursing schools.

How did you first discover NDMU, and what was your experience like in the School of Nursing’s ABSN program?

My sister, Jasmine, is actually a Notre Dame alum. She graduated from Notre Dame in 2013. When I saw that Notre Dame had an accelerated BSN program, I thought that would be a perfect fit for me. I was accepted into the program, and it immediately felt like home to me. I felt so much closer to finding my purpose in life. As an accelerated program, it was certainly rigorous, but every professor identified me and my cohort members by our names, and they were always there to support us before and after class.

We graduated during the peak of COVID. While that was always going to be a challenge, I felt like were given all the resources and skills needed to be successful. A lot of programs shut down their clinical requirements during COVID, but we kept ours and I think that was very beneficial for me. I felt ready to join the nursing profession after completing the ABSN program at Notre Dame.

When did you realize that you wanted to take the next step and return to school to become a nurse practitioner?

As I researched the nursing profession and searched for ABSN programs, I realized that I wanted to become a nurse practitioner at some point in the future. I want to play a part in creating better access for care, especially in women’s health, and I sought out a family nurse practitioner program so that I could become a well-rounded provider.

Being a nurse practitioner will allow me to see my own patients, and to hopefully develop lifelong connections with them. There are times in the nursing profession where, other than some unfortunate individuals who are frequent fliers in the hospital, you aren’t able to develop a lasting relationship with the patient. They arrive at the hospital, get their treatment, go home, and then you move on to the next patient. I really want to have a more holistic, longer relationship with caring for and treating my patients, and being a nurse practitioner will allow me to do that.

Were you excited to return to NDMU once you heard that the School of Nursing was starting a nurse practitioner program? What has your experience been like as a member of our inaugural cohort?

I was super excited to come back! A few of the professors that I had in the ABSN program were also professors in my nurse practitioner program. It just feels like home – the individuals who are teaching you really care about your success, and they care about the fact that you’re able to provide a holistic approach to the future patients that you’ll treat in practice. I was excited about being able to excel in the challenges that I would seek.

What has your experience been like as a member of our inaugural cohort? What are some top strengths of the program?

One thing I really like is that is that it’s fully in person. I feel like that is an important and significant attribute to Notre Dame’s nurse practitioner program, because it holds you accountable for completing your work and building relationships with your professors and cohort members.

Our professors were also extremely accommodating and flexible. They were always asking us how they could improve the program and how they could best support us, even if it meant moving a class time to support individuals with families who might need to come to campus earlier or later.

On a personal level, I got pregnant during my first semester in the program. I went through my whole pregnancy at Notre Dame, and I never had to pause my coursework thanks to the support of my professors. They made the best accommodations for me. I had my daughter the day before my advanced pharmacology exam was due, and my professor worked with me to ensure that I could come the following week to take my exam instead. I’m so grateful to all of my professors for their continuing support as our cohort – we call ourselves the Elite Eight – worked our way toward the finish line.

What were your clinical experiences like? Did they help you determine what area you want to specialize in after completing the program?

The School of Nursing provided great clinical sites for us, which was a huge benefit because not all nurse practitioner programs provide sites. I worked at a VA (Veterans Affairs) hospital, a primary care facility, a children’s urgent care setting, just to name a few – I had wonderful opportunities to broaden my horizons and learn about the many different specialties you can go into as a family nurse practitioner.

I can honestly say in full transparency that I was provided with so many opportunities that I’m still trying to figure out where I want to go after graduation. I have a few potential jobs lined up. When I started the program, I was confident that I was going to remain in women’s health, but I realized during my pediatric care rotation how much I enjoyed being in that space, and all of the challenges that come with it. I have not taken a job yet, but I have been applying and have received multiple offers.

Did you continue to work as a nurse after going back to school? How were you able to balance all of your responsibilities, including your pregnancy, while completing the program?

Yes, I was able to keep my job. I had to flex my hours, but I am still working part-time at Ascension Saint Agnes as a labor and delivery nurse. I also work at Mercy Medical Center as a mother baby nurse. I think the biggest thing for me to make everything work while getting through the program was perseverance. You have to just put your mind to whatever it is that you want to accomplish.

My professors also played a big role in making everything possible. Notre Dame creates a healthy space with constant encouragement for us as students. There are consistent reminders and affirmations that, we know you might feel overwhelmed, but you’re going to be successful. On the days before we take a test, they will send out an email blast encouraging us. Those constant affirmations were really helpful. They helped keep me moving forward.

Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.