Blinn Vocational Nursing Program pins 27 nursing graduates
Program equips graduates with skills needed to embark on fulfilling careers as healthcare professionals
June 14, 2019
The Blinn College District recently recognized 27 new Vocational Nursing Program graduates with a pinning ceremony signifying their commitment to patient care.
Graduates received their pins Thursday, June 13, during a ceremony at James Earl Rudder High School in Bryan after successfully completing a rigorous 10-month program that encompasses classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Clinical rotations utilize Bryan-College Station area hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
The 2019 graduating class includes: Laura Acosta (Bryan), Liliana Almengor (Hearne), Aquila Carter (College Station), Shannon Davis (Bryan), Jasmine Dismuke (Bremond), Ashley Frear (Bryan), Nicole Fry (Bryan), Lorena Garcia (Bryan), Jazmin Guerero Baldazo (Kilgore), Ismar Hernandez (Anderson), Makayla Hickman (Caldwell), Lauren Josey (Bryan), Hannah Lampe Weedon (Huntsville), Brock Little (College Station), Jacquelyn Manning (Madisonville), Julie Marshall (Ozona), Leticia Martinez (Bryan), Amber Noleff (College Station), Shannon Proctor (Houston), Cierra Quintana (Bacliff), Bailey Reynolds (Lexington), Daisy Salazar (Bryan), Christina Serrano (College Station), Taylor Sullivan (Centerville), Juan Varela (College Station), Shea Walker (Montgomery), and Deidre Williams Shalow (Bryan).
“This celebration culminates the commitment and dedication our students have exhibited throughout this demanding, 10-month program,” said Program Director Michelle Marburger. “Our curriculum and innovative faculty are the cornerstone of our program and we hope the skills and tools our students acquire at Blinn prepare them to enter the nursing workforce as caring and compassionate caregivers.”
Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination and are considered licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) after passing both exams. The Blinn-Bryan Vocational Nursing Program has posted a 94.68 percent first-attempt pass rate on the NCLEX-PN in the past five years. The statewide average is approximately 87 percent and the national average is approximately 84 percent.
Graduates who pass their state board exams are qualified to work in a variety of settings, including home health, dialysis, hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018 median pay for a vocational nurse was $46,240 per year and employment is expected to grow 12 percent nation-wide between 2016 and 2026, resulting in 88,900 additional positions.
For more information regarding the Blinn-Bryan Vocational Nursing Program, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.
