BRYAN, Texas — The need for nurses is high across the country. In the next 10 years, that need is expected to grow 15% according to Blinn College District. The junior college in Brazos Valley is helping students be prepared to fill those needs and become skilled nurses.
Blinn College offers two different types of program, a 10 month face-to-face program or a 12-month online/blended course.
"At the end of the 10 month or 12 months, (students) can sit and take a national license exam to become an licensed vocational nurse (LVN)," said Michelle Marburger, the director of the vocational nursing program at Blinn College.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 78,100 vocational nursing positions will be added by the 2028.
"We need more nurses to come in and learn about the field of nursing," Marburger said. "We also have the LVN to RN transitional program at Blinn College. Students can keep going through the different layers of nursing."
There are various settings that VN's are needed like home health, dialysis, physicians' offices and more.
"If you look in the paper, or any of the job employment sites, there are always nursing positions that are out there," Marburger said.
Because of the time that is required spent in class and studying outside of it, staff encourage students to not have a job. Faculty say this class is students full time job.
"We always tell people that healthcare is different from normal college classes," Marburger said. "You have to take it seriously, whatever you're learning in the classrooms, the skills lab or the clinical, other peoples lives are going to be dependent on you knowing that information."
The program is offered at both the Brenham and Rellis campus. The locations are stocked full of state of the art training equipment that prepare students for successful careers.
"All of the knowledge they have learned along the way, they're able to apply to their work place settings and help other people," Marburger said.
Blinn College will be hosting information sessions to learn more about the vocational nursing program. For more information click HERE.
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