Blinn offering online/blended Vocational Nursing Program beginning this fall
New online/blended program is the first of its kind in Texas
September 10, 2018
To accommodate the busy schedules of the working population, the Blinn College District is making it easier than ever to pursue a high-demand career as a vocational nurse.
Beginning this fall, the new online/blended Vocational Nursing Program – the first of its kind in the state – will feature interactive instruction to maximize student engagement and ensure full equivalency to the traditional face-to-face programs located in Brenham and Bryan.
“Blinn’s new online/blended Vocational Nursing Program was created and designed with the working individuals of our community in mind,” said Michelle Marburger, Director of Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Programs. “We are providing the same high-quality education and training as we do in our traditional programs, but in a more accessible and convenient format.”
Approved by the Texas Board of Nursing, Blinn’s online/blended Vocational Nursing Program is a one-year program that begins each August.
On the weekends, students will attend face-to-face clinical and laboratory experiences at the Health Science Center in Bryan and local hospitals and clinics. This face-to-face requirement exposes students to the environment of an actual healthcare facility to ensure they are receiving maximum learning opportunities.
“Blinn’s nursing faculty constantly evolve our programs to fit the needs of all types of students,” said Tom Lescarbeau, Dean for the Division of Health Sciences. “With the addition of this new innovative venture, Blinn hopes to extend its services to individuals in the community who are interested in jumpstarting their career but may not previously have had the opportunity.”
Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and the Nursing Jurisprudence
Jobs abound in a variety of settings, including home health, dialysis, hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for vocational nurses is expected to grow 12 percent between 2016 and 2026, resulting in 89,900 additional positions. In 2017, the median pay for a vocational nurse in Central Texas was $44,950 per year, according to Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley.
In addition to the online/blended Vocational Nursing Program, Blinn offers 10-month traditional face-to-face programs in Brenham and Bryan. The Blinn-Brenham Vocational Nursing Program has posted an approximate 98 percent pass rate on the NCLEX in the past five years, while over 95 percent of Blinn-Bryan vocational nursing students have passed the national exam in that same time span.
Blinn’s Vocational Nursing programs invite students to attend face-to-face and online information sessions to learn more about their options.
The online information session will be available from Saturday, Sept. 15, through Friday, March 1, 2019. The online session will be divided into two sections: one for those interested in the traditional vocational nursing programs on Blinn’s Brenham and Bryan campuses and one for the new online program.
Students wishing to apply to Blinn’s face-to-face and online programs must attend both sections of the online information session.
For more information regarding Blinn’s new online Vocational Nursing Program, contact Peggy Schwartz at 979-830-4283 or peggy.schwarze@blinn.edu.
