Blinn-Brenham Vocational Nursing Program posts 100% pass rate on national licensure exam
100% pass NCLEX-PN on first attempt
September 24, 2020
The entire graduating class of the Blinn College-Brenham Campus Vocational Nursing Program has passed a rigorous national exam.
Kaylee Bernick (Brenham), TreAndranique Green (Bryan), Brittany Greene (Houston), Nakyshia Guyton (College Station), Mallory Hanath (Chappell Hill), Sydni Havel (Giddings), Brooke Hynes (Brenham), Shelby Jones-Dunk (Ellinger), Latajez Josey (Sealy), Jaquel London (Hempstead), Monica Million (Somerville), Kayden Pieper (Brenham), Lisa Prestwood (Brenham), Jessica Rodriguez-Salas (Brenham), Taylor Singer (Bellville), Deja Tolbert (Bellville), Christina Trevino (Somerville), Dulce Valles (Brenham), Brooke Vinklarek (La Grange), Nickoya Virgil (Katy), Lydia Weigelt (Brenham), Sarah Wiltshire (College Station), Alencia Woodberry (Brenham), Shelby Wunderlich (Weimar), Ashley Yantz (Giddings), and Daniela Zamora (Brenham) passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN).
“This is a remarkable group of students,” Program Director Michelle Marburger said. “They overcame a lot of challenges through their hard work and dedication. Their accomplishment is even more impressive because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very proud of all of them.”
The 10-month program includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical training. Clinical rotations are held at hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the area. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, almost 98% of Blinn’s graduates from the program during the past three years have found jobs in the profession.
“The sheer abundance of knowledge and experience from our instructors truly led to our success,” graduate Lydia Weigelt said. “When COVID hit, it was a very trying time for all of us, but they never gave up on anyone. Readying our class for both the NCLEX and our future nursing endeavors is all owed to them.”
Blinn graduates consistently post first-attempt passing rates well above the Texas and national averages. From 2015-2019, 97% of the graduates from the Brenham Campus program passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt. The Texas NCLEX-PN average for vocational nursing candidates was 87.57% and the national average was 84.2%.
Graduates who pass the state board exams are qualified to work in a variety of settings, including home health care, dialysis, hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2019 annual median pay for a vocational nurse was $47,480.
For more information regarding Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.
