Blinn's revamped nursing program offers more professional application

The Blinn College obstetrics course includes training in maternal, newborn and child health.
The Blinn College obstetrics course includes training in maternal, newborn and child health. | File photo
Sami Rahman, director of simulations, and Rebecca Presswood, associate degree nursing program site coordinator, recently presented the restructured curriculum they are using at Blinn College, which presents students a comprehensive course that covers the stretch between obstetrics and pediatrics.

The 75-minute breakout session at the recent Organization of Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) conference in Jacksonville, Florida, allowed representatives from programs across the country to learn about the obstetrics course that includes training in maternal, newborn and child health. Students of "Nursing Care of the Child-Bearing and Child-Rearing Family" interact with patient actors to simulate care scenarios for labor and delivery, postpartum, sick infants, children in need of surgery, newborns and adolescents.

Students then debrief with faculty to discuss patient care, operations and communication with the patient and his or her family, as well as fellow health care professionals.

"It's a continuum from birth to adolescence," Presswood said. "In one semester, we cover everything from women's health to adolescent growth and development." Students who complete the ADN program at Blinn and pass the National Council Licensure Examination have a job placement rate between 97 and 100 percent, qualified for a vast array of positions, including pediatric, hospice, geriatric, school and clinical nursing.: