Making connections. Making a difference.

As a bone marrow transplant (BMT) nurse at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Tyler is committed to making a life-changing impact on others. It’s all about the personal connection.

Tyler’s career at Northside began as the result of a personal connection. It started in nursing school when Tyler noticed a tumor behind his ear. He needed to have the tumor surgically removed, and later had surgery at Northside. During a conversation with his surgical tech, they spoke about Tyler’s career plans. Tyler expressed an interest in moving into an oncology nursing career. The tech told Tyler about Northside’s excellent oncology program and spoke in depth about the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Northside.

That initial conversation set Tyler on an exciting career path with Northside. Tyler went straight from nursing school to the Northside Nurse Residency Program. Thanks to the mentorship he received in the program, he became thoroughly prepared for his current role with the BMT team. Tyler says, “My preceptors were awesome. They were very good at helping you learn the floor. It was a smooth transition – going from new grad, to learning everything with the residency, to being on my own.”

Since becoming established at Northside, Tyler has enjoyed the consistent support and encouragement of the team members on his unit. “When you work a job, you spend most of your day there, so it’s really important that you like the people you work with. And I really enjoy the people I work with. I feel like I’m working with friends every day. And it’s not just a work-based relationship. It’s like family.”

Due to the unique nature of his clinical specialty, Tyler has had the same positive relationship-building experience with his patients. Because his patients come in and generally stay for at least four weeks, he is able to get to know them and their families while he helps them receive treatment and recover. As Tyler notes, “It’s pretty important to me and has a big impact on who I am and the values I have.”