Students in the Blinn College Vocational Nursing Program’s online-blended format faced unique challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all face-to-face classes last March.
Despite the obstacles, every student who completed the program this year passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). Students passing the exam on their first attempt were Kyle Coleman (North Zulch), Jirah Heard (Houston), Jenny King (Washington, Texas), Sarah Truelove Naumann (Bryan), Charlotte Linthicum (Franklin), Crystal Robertson (College Station), Wendy Rosenfeld (Bryan), Kirsten Rushing (Bryan), and Abby Sefcik (Brenham).
The 12-month online-blended program is designed for students who may already have a job and covers the material over a longer span than the traditional 10-month program.
“I am very proud of them,” said Michelle Marburger, Director of Vocational Nursing. “They worked really hard. They were having to learn while taking care of their children. Schools were closed, kids were trying to learn online, our students were trying to learn online … the challenges were real.”
Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program graduates consistently post first-attempt passing rates well above the Texas and national averages. Last month, the Blinn-Brenham Vocational Nursing Program announced that it posted a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the NCLEX-PN as well.
From 2015-19, 97% of program graduates passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt. The statewide average from 2015-19 was about 88%, and the national average about 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 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. For information about all of Blinn’s nursing tracks, including certified nurse aide, the licensed vocational nursing-transition option, and associate degree nursing, visit www.blinn.edu/nursing.
