title: Curriculum innovation in an accelerated BSN program: the ACE Model.
abstract: As the demand for registered nurses continues to rise, so too has the creation of accelerated baccalaureate nursing programs for second-degree students. This article describes an 11-month Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Nursing Program's innovative curriculum design, which has a heavy emphasis on technology, professional socialization, and the use of a standardized patient experience as a form of summative evaluation. In addition, challenges of this program are presented. Since 2002, the ACE Program has graduated over 500 students with an average first-time NCLEX pass rate of 95-100%. Although the number of graduates from accelerated programs does not solve the severe nursing shortage, the contributions of these intelligent, assertive, pioneering graduates are important for health care.
authors.affiliation: Drexel University, USA. tds@drexel.edu
authors.forename: Patricia D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Suplee
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Glasgow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004518:Education, Professional, Retraining / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D009729:Nursing; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000078329:Workforce