By Doug DeBiase
It requires several hours of her week, but senior guard Ashley Underwood of the Maine women's basketball team knows the hard work and dedication she is putting in will help her in the near future.
You may think the hard work and dedication she is putting in pertains to basketball, but actually, it pertains to her dream of being a nurse.
In addition to the long hours of practice, traveling and games, Underwood puts in several hours a week in her studies and nursing partnership at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine.
It leaves little free time during the week and can be stressful at times, but Underwood enjoys the challenge and the chance to care for people.
"It can be stressful when you balance school, basketball and the partnership, but I know it's all going to benefit me in my career," said Underwood, who stands on the threshold of 1,000 career points at Maine. "I've known for a while that I wanted to be a nurse, and the chance to care for people that need help appeals to me."
Underwood, a native of Augusta, Maine, started her partnership at EMCC during her sophomore season. A partnership consists of a nursing student working with a nurse in different units on several floors of a hospital. Underwood has had the opportunity to work in several different units of EMCC and has found that she would like to work in the oncology unit, which deals with cancer patients.
"I've had a lot of aunts that have suffered from breast cancer," she said. "I see a lot of that on the floor so I want to help those people. You don't just help the patient, but you also help the families because they are there most of the time. You try to give everyone a lot of attention to make them feel more comfortable."
Last fall, Underwood stepped up the intensity of her partnership as she handled two patients on her own. It was special for Underwood, because it gave her the confidence knowing that she could handle the job.
"A lot of times the patients gave us (student nurses) compliments on how professional we were and that we would make great nurses," she added. "The University of Maine has a great nursing program and helps put us in a position to succeed."
The clinical in the fall has prepared Underwood for her next stage of training as she will take part in a 190-hour partnership at Maine General Hospital in Waterville this spring. The parternship will last 16 weeks and she will go through one-to-two 12-hour work days a week. She will have a full patient work-load which consists of five-to-six patients. All of that in addition to preparing for the stretch drive of the basketball season as the Black Bears looks to capture the America East championship in March.
Underwood will continue to work in the oncology unit and will be joined by her older sister Lindsey, who has worked in the unit the past two years. Ashley is excited about the opportunity to work with family.
"Lindsey really enjoys working there, so she has been giving me tips and advice on how to handle it," Underwood said. "She's been helpful throughout my entire college career and I'm glad to have her as a reference."
The on-the-job training has been the most beneficial part of Underwood's academic career. Instead of just studying from textbooks, Underwood has gotten excellent hands on learning which gives her the confidence to do the job.
"I've been very fortunate to get the training I've gotten and been fortunate to have several professors who have helped me succeed in college," she said. "Professors (Len) Kass and (Judy) Kuhns-Hastings have been great to work with in class and have helped me gain the knowledge I need to do the job. Ann Maxim (athletic department's academic advisor) has been great in keeping us on track to earn our degrees."
Whether its basketball or nursing, a lot of hours are required for Underwood to succeed. She has come to understand that and accepts the challenge. That's why Ashley Underwood has been a success on the court, in the classroom and in the hospital.