Blinn College District celebrates inaugural online/blended Vocational Nursing Program graduates at pinning ceremony
Innovative program prepares graduates for fulfilling careers dedicated to patient care
August 15, 2019
The Blinn College District recently recognized the first graduating class of its online/blended Vocational Nursing Program with a pinning ceremony Thursday, August 15, at the Blinn-Bryan Campus. The program – approved by the Texas Board of Nursing and the first of its kind in the state – accommodates the busy schedules of the working population by combining interactive and traditional face-to-face instruction.
Blinn has capped class sizes at 10 students for the first several offerings of the online/blended option in order to monitor and evaluate this new, rigorous one-year program. Nine applicants met eligibility requirements in August 2018 with the final inaugural roster featuring eight students. The 2019 graduates include: Jessica Cornell (Bryan), Monica Flores (Navasota), Lisa Garcia (Bryan), Sarah Henderson (Round Rock), Jessica Herrera (Caldwell), Donna Jimenez (Bryan), Morgan Wendler (Katy), and Samantha Zamora (Madisonville).
“We are excited to celebrate the students in this inaugural class and highlight the blended/online program’s unique approach to educating compassionate healthcare professionals,” said Michelle Marburger, Director of Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program. “These talented individuals represent the first of many graduates we hope will use this program to obtain the skills and training required to become licensed vocational nurses.”
Blinn’s online/blended Vocational Nursing Program allows students the flexibility to fulfill a portion of their course work remotely and utilize the weekends to attend face-to-face clinical and laboratory requirements. The in-person components of the program expose students to the environment of an actual healthcare facility.
“Blinn faculty recognized a need within the community to provide a new pathway into this rewarding career,” said Tom Lescarbeau, Dean for the Division of Health Sciences. “By constantly updating our curriculum and offering innovative educational opportunities, we hope to make our program more accessible to potential students.”
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.
These in-demand graduates 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% nation-wide between 2016 and 2026, resulting in 88,900 additional positions.
In addition to the online/blended Vocational Nursing Program, Blinn offers 10-month face-to-face programs in Brenham and Bryan. The Blinn-Brenham Vocational Nursing Program has posted an approximately 98% pass rate on the NCLEX in the past five years, while over 94% of Blinn-Bryan students have passed the national exam in the same timespan. The state-wide average is approximately 87% and the national average is approximately 84%.
For more information regarding Blinn’s 12-month blended/online and 10-month traditional Vocational Nursing Programs, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.
