A Future Found at Duke: Catching Up with Aastha Baral in Working@Duke’s 20th Year

Three years after sharing why she chose Duke, Baral has earned her master’s degree, become a nurse practitioner and found a professional home

This story is part of the celebration of the Working@Duke print publication's first 20 years. Since its first issue in 2006, the publication has grown into a dynamic digital source for employee news, storytelling, video and social media. Through 2026, check for more stories.

In 2023, as Duke welcomed nearly 21,500 new staff and faculty over a three-year period, Working@Duke magazine explored how those new colleagues were reshaping the institution and what drew them to Duke.

Among them was Aastha Baral, a Clinical Nurse in Duke Regional Hospital’s mother-baby unit who said supportive co-workers and Duke’s benefits made her want to build her future here.

Three years later, that connection to Duke has only deepened.

As Working@Duke celebrates its 20th anniversary, we caught up with Baral, who appeared in the magazine’s 118th issue, to see how her journey has evolved and why she remains excited about what comes next.

When Baral was featured in Working@Duke, what was happening in her life?

When Baral was featured in the April/May 2023 cover story, her world was a busy one.

She had recently welcomed her first child, a daughter named Maeve, and was pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing degree at the Duke University School of Nursing through Duke’s RN Tuition Assistance Program.

While balancing the demands of parenting, graduate school and her job as a clinical nurse at Duke Regional Hospital, Baral said her Duke Regional Hospital colleagues were always ready to lend support.

“We had a wonderful team, wonderful management, just a great group of nurses and colleagues,” Baral said. “Everyone there was great.”

In the years since her story ran in Working@Duke magazine, Aasthal Baral earned a degree and moved into a new position at Duke. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Why was it important for Baral to share her story?

After the COVID pandemic, Duke, like many employers, adapted to changing employee expectations and career priorities. While the Duke’s turnover rate was below the national average, it faced the challenge of finding ways to attract new talent while preserving the workplace culture that made many employees want to stay.

For Baral, that culture made all the difference.

By 2023, with the support of her employer and the fulfillment she found in her work, Baral felt she’d found her professional home at Duke. Speaking as one of Duke’s relatively new employees, she hoped to inspire other nurses to pursue careers at Duke.

“I just wanted to share my experience with other people who might want to join our team or come to Duke for the excellent care we provide to patients,” Baral said. “We have wonderful hard-working nurses here that provide excellent care, so I wanted to share my story so that I can be an example to others who may want to join the team at Duke like I did.”

What changed in Baral’s life since she was featured in Working@Duke?

Baral completed her Master of Science in Nursing degree in December 2024, giving her more time to spend with 4-year-old Maeve. And in late 2025, she moved into a new role as a Nurse Practitioner at Duke University Hospital serving patients facing high-risk pregnancies.

“I have grown so much both personally and professional in the last few years,” Baral said. “I’m more confident and I can better advocate for my patients.”

What has kept Baral at Duke?

Not long after her story appeared in Working@Duke, Baral received a phone call from someone who read her story online. Curious about what it was like to be a Duke nurse, the caller wanted to know what Baral valued most about her workplace.

Baral spoke about how Duke’s educational opportunities helped her advance her career, how supportive colleagues nourished her growth and how the patient care she helped deliver made her proud.

As her career has evolved, those qualities continue to keep Baral excited about her role at Duke.

“As a new grad and a new Nurse Practitioner, I have a ton of support here,” Baral said. “This is a teaching hospital, so we’re able to learn and grow as a clinicians. We can pick up a lot of good knowledge and build a good foundation that will help us grow. That’s why I’ve stayed.”

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