Blinn College District celebrates 36 nursing graduates with pinning ceremony

Vocational nurses earn a median salary of $48,820 and employment is growing nationwide

October 11, 2021

Thirty-six students graduated recently from the Blinn College District Vocational Nursing Program.

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 curriculum is very challenging, and it was even more challenging because of the pandemic,” Program Director Michelle Marburger said. “I’m very proud of the dedication our students and faculty showed. They stayed focused, and students graduated on time, which I think is a testament to the commitment of everyone involved with the program.”

Marburger said the graduates are a testament to hard work and support from family members.

“It takes a strong support system to grow a nurse,” she said. “We know it’s been hard sometimes, but you made it.”

Blinn’s newest graduates include Ted C. Aheneku (College Station), Kearra Blue (Cypress), Laura Cienfuegos (Navasota), Bianca Cifuentes (Pasadena), Janett Coronado (Bryan), Gracie Gonzalez (Caldwell), Samantha Gregory (Brenham), Kelli Harmon (Jasper), Mariel Hernandez (La Grange), Madison Hodges (Lyons), Kelsey Michelle Hurry (Waller), Lauren Kmiec (Brenham), Lindsey Laster (Navasota), Michelle Lovelidge (Brenham), Myra Lynch (Cameron), Kaylei Mallard (Bryan), Brandis McGee (Bryan), Courtney Middleton (Bryan), Constance Mouton (Spring), Diana Nolasco (Bryan), Millicent Obiazi (College Station), Melanie Giselle Osegueda (Carrollton), Rocio Pachuca (Bryan), Brenda Pizarro (Chappell Hill), Lauren Purnell (College Station), Kaitlyn Rhea (Caldwell), Amanda Rios (Brenham), Naomi Rodriguez (Brenham), Rylee Shields (Brenham), Brianna Spiotto (Pearland), Josselin Valderramos (Bryan), Kelly VanDevender (Katy), Kailee Vuskov (College Station), Lori Weaver (Richards), Jaqueline Williams (Brenham), and Kylie Williams (College Station).

Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination and are considered licensed vocational nurses after passing both exams.

Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program graduates consistently post first-attempt passing rates well above the Texas and national averages. From 2016-20, 97% of the graduates from the Brenham Campus program passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt. During that same time period, the statewide average was approximately 88% and the national average approximately 84%. 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 2020 annual median pay for a vocational nurse was $48,820, and employment is expected to increase 9% between 2019 and 2029, creating 65,700 new jobs nationwide.

For more information regarding Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.