Twenty-one Blinn College District vocational nursing graduates were welcomed to the profession during the Brenham Campus program’s 58th pinning ceremony Thursday, June 13, at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center in Brenham.
This year’s graduates include: Latisha Allen (Bryan), Sonya Branch (Brenham), Kylie Briggs (La Grange), Tanya Carter (Columbus), Jessica Cervantes (Bellville), Branterica Cloud (Brenham), Stephenie Ellis (Brenham), Emily Fischer (Giddings), Marissa Gonzales (Caldwell), Molly Grabarschick (Brenham), Wednesday Greer (Brenham), Haley Jacobs (Magnolia), Grace Kallie (Brenham), Isaac Martinez (Somerville), Micah Maruska (Katy), Claudia Medina-Lopez (Giddings), Maria Paniagua (Brenham), Tamara Sanders (Houston),  Courtney Williams (Lyons), Shaqujuna Williams (Sealy), and Monique Wilson (Brenham).
“We are very proud of our graduates. This ceremony is a celebration of their hard work and dedication throughout this demanding, 10-month program,” Program Director Michelle Marburger said. “Our curriculum and innovative faculty are the cornerstones of our program and we enjoyed preparing our students to enter the nursing workforce as caring and compassionate caregivers.”
The 10-month program provides students the education and training necessary to become highly skilled licensed vocational nurses capable of working in a variety of medical settings. Students spend 35-40 hours each week engaged in classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences, with significant additional time required for study.
Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination and are considered licensed vocational nurses after passing both exams. Approximately 98% of Blinn-Brenham vocational nursing graduates in the past five years have passed the NCLEX, including a 100% pass rate in 2013, 2015, and 2016. The statewide average is approximately 87% and the national average is approximately 84%.
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, employment for vocational nurses is expected to grow 12% between 2016 and 2026, resulting in 89,900 additional positions. In 2018, the median pay was $46,240 per year.
For more information regarding the Blinn-Brenham Vocational Nursing Program, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.