Blinn Vocational Nursing Program graduates earn their pins

11 students are honored for completing the program

June 14, 2024

Eleven graduates of the Blinn College District’s Vocational Nursing Program were pinned at a ceremony Thursday at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center on the Brenham Campus.

Students who completed the traditional face-to-face program were Ileesha Bradford, Brenham; Rebecca Brewster, Bryan; Brittany Creagor, College Station; Jamie Enriquez, College Station; Stephanie Garcia, Houston; Victoria Hudzinski, Tomball; Amber Johnston, Corpus Christi; Tiffany Maxie, Brenham; Addison Newton, College Station; Adrian Spurrell, La Porte; and Joshua Talavera, Harper.

“The program was amazing,” Spurrell said. “I would go again five or 10 times if I could. The instructors were well beyond what I would have expected, and they do a great job of making sure we know what we’re supposed to.”

Spurrell is looking to work at a long-term care facility in Rockdale and continue his education at Blinn.

“I thought the program was awesome,” said Newton, who plans to work in San Marcos. “I really liked going through it. I learned a lot and hopefully made some lifelong friends.”

Program Director Michelle Marburger praised the graduates for their dedication.

“We are all so very proud of you. To say it was hard is probably an understatement,” Marburger said, “but you’re strong, you’re brave. You’ve laughed together, you’ve cried together, and you stood together. We’re proud of the way you stood together along the way. As your instructors, we are very honored to be able to share this with you.”

The 10-month program includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical training. Clinical rotations are held at hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the area and almost 98% of Blinn’s graduates from the program during the past three years have found jobs in the profession.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2023 annual median pay for a vocational nurse was $59,730, and employment is expected to increase 5% between 2022 and 2032, creating 34,900 new jobs nationwide.

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 also offers a blended online Vocational Nursing Program that allows students to complete their theory coursework online while attending face-to-face clinical and laboratory experiences. Designed for individuals balancing a job and their nursing studies, Blinn’s online-blended Vocational Nursing Program was launched in 2018 as the first of its kind in the state.

A pinning ceremony for the current class of blended online program students will be held Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the O’Donnell Center.

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