As a child in Severy, Kansas, Tylyn (Coble ’20) Walker, RN, BSN, sometimes accompanied her mother, a home health nurse, to care for patients. During those visits, Tylyn saw how nursing connected people, built trust and helped families through difficult times.
Today, she brings that same careful attention to patients in the telemetry (cardiac) unit at The University of Kansas Health System Olathe Hospital. Her work was recently recognized with the DAISY Award, an international program honoring nurses who provide extraordinary, compassionate care.
Tylyn’s nomination came from a woman whose husband spent 15 days hospitalized after a cardiac arrest.
“From the moment Tylyn began caring for him, it was clear that nursing for her is not just a profession; it is truly a calling,” she wrote.
Tylyn’s concern extended to everyone at his bedside.
“She understood that when someone you love is fighting for their life, the family is going through that battle too,” the woman wrote, recalling how Tylyn took time to pray over them.
Begining in Uncertain Times
That willingness to be present for others has shaped Tylyn’s career from its challenging beginning.
In spring 2020, COVID-19 interrupted her final semester at MNU. Classes moved online, in-person clinical experiences ended early, and the pinning ceremony she had hoped to share with her mother and grandmother, both nurses, became virtual.
Entering professional nursing felt frightening. Working where she had completed clinicals and served as a technician gave her familiar colleagues and systems that eased the transition. Still, caring for COVID patients brought loss early in her career.
With loved ones unable to visit, Tylyn prayed over patients and offered the presence their families could not. Her church’s small group, in turn, supported her through prayer.
Prepared Through Knowledge and Faith
Faith had drawn her to MNU. Growing up in the Church of the Nazarene, she wanted professors who would incorporate their faith into teaching. She found that, along with more examples of empathy she would carry into her own career. During a health scare of her own, a professor prayed over her and assured her that the School of Nursing was praying, too.
Helping Future Nurses
Now Tylyn helps provide that preparation for others. An MNU clinical instructor since 2023, she enjoys watching students gain confidence as they apply classroom learning in real-life patient care. At the hospital, she also trains new nursing graduates and helps patients understand medications and procedures.
“The best part is seeing the excitement on their faces when they learn something new,” she said.
Cardiac care remains her favorite specialty, another family connection she shares with her grandmother, who also worked as a cardiac nurse.
On home visits with her mother, Tylyn saw what compassionate nursing looked like, and her purpose was ignited. At MNU, she gained the knowledge to carry that example into her own nursing career. Today, her DAISY Award recognizes these strengths, while Tylyn helps MNU nursing students learn about exceptional patient care.
Learn more about nursing programs at MNU, including our newest Direct Entry MSN for non-nursing graduates at mnu.edu/pgs-nursing.
