Ashley Woodland commutes 40 minutes one way to Baton Rouge Community College each day in pursuit of her dream of one day becoming a nurse practitioner. Woodland currently works in the medical field as a nurse at ExxonMobil Health Clinic, but her desire to learn more about nursing led her to BRCC. What she loves most is the community atmosphere, the convenience of scheduling classes, and the relationships she’s developed throughout the Nursing and Allied Health program.

“We have a very tight-knit community in the nursing program,” said Woodland. “Whenever we need each other, we’re texting, and we’re calling. We need each other to make it through.”

Although Woodland enrolled in the nursing program already working in the medical field, she takes learning seriously and spends several hours weekly preparing for her classes and studying. The workload and demands of the rigorous nursing program can also be extremely challenging at times, especially for a mother of two and balancing a full-time job. Woodland said she adheres to her great-grandmother’s philosophy of taking a break when you need one but ‘don’t ever give up.’  

“We all have the same end goal, said Woodland. We started together, and we’ll finish together because we are a part of each other’s success story.”

Woodland said she likes that the class sizes are smaller, and the professors are more hands-on which makes the program more personable to her liking. She chose to pursue a career in nursing because she has a passion for caring for patients who are elderly and those struggling with mental illness. One of her goals is to be able to provide better care to the elderly community and spread awareness about mental health. She wants to help change the stigma surrounding mental health and educate patients about the importance of caring for one’s mental well-being.

“I think mental health is ignored in for the most part in our culture,” said Woodland. “If more people focus on their mental, I think we would be better off. We function with our brains and with our thoughts. Our thoughts are what create our actions, but sometimes you can’t control your actions if you can’t control your thoughts.”

One of her favorite classes is Nursing Fundamentals, a course every nursing student must take, which sets the stage for progressing toward their degree. This was also the case for Woodland who said this is the point in nursing where you decide if you want to continue to pursue a nursing career or begin to look at other career options. However, she credits Adult I and II as the classes that gave her the confidence to care for a patient.

“I would say fundamentals (class) gave me the knowledge I to have a successful career in nursing,” said Woodland. “However, I like Med-Surg which is Adult I and II. That’s where you learn everything about the human body, how it works, and what we do for it. That’s where you learn the foundation of how you’re actually going to care for someone.”

When Woodland is away from nursing, she enjoys making different kinds of crafts such as shirts, cups, and other accessories. She also loves attending sporting events and watching her children play sports. Woodland plans to graduate in May of 2024 and continue her education in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with the end goal of becoming a nurse practitioner and owning a private medical practice.