Drexels ACE clinical locations and advice

JdNNurse2B · Aug 10, 2008

HI.

I am about to graduate from the program. In all honesty, it doesn't matter where you live. They will place you anywhere within 1+ hours for your clinical. I live less than 5 minutes from a hospital and was never placed there. I was placed in the city, the far NE philadelphia, Paoli, and Delaware. I have been all over the place. They don't/won't accept requests. There were a few quarters where I ended up staying at my sister in-laws house to avoid having to drive an hour at 430 am.

As far as going the night before for prep, it all depends on when your clinical prof gets there to make assignments. It can vary from week to week. I had one prof, where some weeks I could go in an prep by 4 other times I had to wait until 6 ish.

Lets see, the hospitals I know of that they place are: Wilmington Hospital, Crozer Medical Center, DCMH, Lankenau, Bryn Mawr, Paoli, HUP, HUH, Presbyterian, CHOP, St. Chris, Cooper, Nazareth, Einstein, and many more. I can't think of them right now.

shanika1m1 · Aug 13, 2008

HI, I graduated from the Coop program and yes, Jd is right on the money, they will place you the exact opposite of where you live...lol. I have been to Crozer Medical Center, HUH, Brywn Mawr, Magee, Einstein, Jefferson, Kirkbride for mental, HUP and Shriners even a free clinic over in Camden for Community.

Also the time as Jd says is whenever your professor can get the assignments posted..For instance I have had some professors that work in the hospital, it may be up early.Some professors are currently working or in school also so your assignment may not be up until 6pm.

Enjoy the time that you have off until you start. Good Luck !

**CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN** · Aug 13, 2008

Well, I'm glad the 'late' time the info would be available is 6pm. I was really terrified I'd need to be in the city at like 11pm, get info, then head home to not get enough sleep for terribly AM clinical.

Are all of the clinicals at like 6:30 am? I was kind of wondering if any public transportation (via regional rail or something) was possible for some of them. But, the first RR trains seem to barely get into the city a little after 6am.

Kinda off topic, but I was looking on the forums about some HESI test thing. Is that required by Drexel (not that I really care, just curious)? And how well prepared for the NCLEX did you feel from the program?

Proverbs 16:3 · Aug 20, 2008

Shyrie,

you DON'T HAVE to be in the city till 11pm prepping for clinicals. i was thrown at nazareth one time and i wasn't gonna waste my time going there the night before. I just went 20 - 30 minutes early on the clinical day and copied the stuff. I depended on septa throughout my clinical. I was lucky though, they never dumped me in jersey but for people that have clinical in jersey, they take the speedline or the bus. i always show up early insead of prepping, just show up before the instructor gets there. Also, there's a chance they may put you at bryn mawr.

Most clinicals are 6:30am, a few may be later depending on the instructor. I think my psych clinical started at 9 or 10am - i've forgotten. And i had a drill seargent instructor who wanted us to get there at 6am, we were able to bargain for 6:15.

Yes, HESI is what Drexel uses. You will take so many HESI exams you'll live and breathe HESI. you take one with every clinical course. Luckily for you, you're in the ACE program so you don't have to take 489 which is the class where you take HESI's every week and need to get 80% to move on. However, you do have to take 492 like everyone else and you'll need an 87% to pass. It used to be 85% and people weren't making that. When they made it 87% for our group, it didn't help the case. i have friends who didn't pass the second time around.

Don't be scared of the HESI, there're certain things you should know about it and once you have that tied to the back of your brain, the worst score you can get without studying will be a 98% and you can even make a perfect score without studying but by just knowing how to think through it.

Best of luck in the program.

nursin09student · Sep 2, 2008

HI.
I am about to graduate from the program. In all honesty, it doesn't matter where you live. They will place you anywhere within 1+ hours for your clinical. I live less than 5 minutes from a hospital and was never placed there. I was placed in the city, the far NE philadelphia, Paoli, and Delaware. I have been all over the place. They don't/won't accept requests. There were a few quarters where I ended up staying at my sister in-laws house to avoid having to drive an hour at 430 am.
As far as going the night before for prep, it all depends on when your clinical prof gets there to make assignments. It can vary from week to week. I had one prof, where some weeks I could go in an prep by 4 other times I had to wait until 6 ish.
Lets see, the hospitals I know of that they place are: Wilmington Hospital, Crozer Medical Center, DCMH, Lankenau, Bryn Mawr, Paoli, HUP, HUH, Presbyterian, CHOP, St. Chris, Cooper, Nazareth, Einstein, and many more. I can't think of them right now.

CONGRATS on getting ready to graduate, you have been very informative through your whole process, I remember when I joined the boards your were getting ready to start. Time fly. I will be starting Drexel ACE Spring 2009. :yeah:

dd428 · Dec 5, 2008

Shyrie,
you DON'T HAVE to be in the city till 11pm prepping for clinicals. i was thrown at nazareth one time and i wasn't gonna waste my time going there the night before. I just went 20 - 30 minutes early on the clinical day and copied the stuff. I depended on septa throughout my clinical. I was lucky though, they never dumped me in jersey but for people that have clinical in jersey, they take the speedline or the bus. i always show up early insead of prepping, just show up before the instructor gets there.

Yes, some people may be able to get away with going early in the morning...but I really wouldnt count on it! Just copying down info can take an hr/hr and a 1/2. plus most of the time you need to do a care plan which doesnt take 20 min--it can take hours esp in the beginning. Sorry, dont mean to be a downer...but just wanted to be realistic!

Also, most likely you will need a car to get to your clinicals...unless they are right in center city, most of the hospitals are not easily accessible to public transit--even NJ--taking the speedline is nowhere near the hospitals except for cooper. If you dont have a car, make friends with the people in your clinical group and offer some gas $$!

**CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN** · Dec 13, 2008

Ohh! More (random) questions. I know the Fall class size is 120, and Spring is 80. How are the actual classes set up, though? Are they full lecture halls (120/80), or are there smaller classes? If smaller classes, are there cohorts that have the same classes together? Are they lecture, with recitation(sp?)? And the labs. I'll assume there aren't going to be 80-120 students in a lab.

Another question. For the graduates, what is the attrition rate? How many people from the starting class actually graduated in 1 year, or dropped/failed?

XLFord · Dec 23, 2008

Fall class is actually closer to 160ish, though Fall 2008 had about 180 (or so I was told), though by final there were about 150-155 students per group. You are broken up into small classes by alphabet, though NI (N204 - Nursing Informatics) is taught as a big group, or mine was. Labs are divided up into two groups... Yes, the cohorts have same schedule, though you may change cohorts due to the change in numbers.

k8dubcoran · Mar 31, 2009

I graduated the Drexel ACE program. The hospitals i was at were :

In NJ - marlton rehab, underwood hospital, virtua hospital in marlton

In PA- shriners hospital, Hosp of the Univ of Penn, hahnemann, nazareth hospital, watermark nursing home, 11th streethealth clinic,

Yes youll take tons of HESI - the final comprehensive one being very difficult. There were roughly 130 in my starting class ( MUCH less as a final number haha) and for lecture we were divided alphabetically into 3 sessions.

For the first quarter u are in class 4 days a week and 1 clinical

The other 3 quarters are class all day mon and tues and 3 out of the 4 next days are clinical days ( meaning yes you could have a saturday clinical..but then off a tues or wed etc )

Looking back yea it was a quick 11 months, but i would not do the program again. For the amount of debt i am in from the program, it has completely hindered my life moving forward. Drexel tells you how much nurses make in the city etc and they always add an extra 10,000 to the actual number. Im a first year grad with a salary of roughly 48-49,000 with a takehome base pay of about 38,000. I work now in Camden, on the other side of the bridge outside of philly, and my philly friends only make about a dollar more than me an hour so its now that big of a difference.

My hospital i work at is one of the only around who give a starting bonus to new grads 10,000 which i got and was glad to get. HOWEVER

if i had went to the nursing school that school offered i could have had FREE TUITION with only a 1 year contract to work after.

I definitly would have gone back for 2 years instead of just the 1 to not have this looming debt.

Just so everyone knows - b/c people always ask me this : I have standard student loans through sallie mae and some state ones and pay about $500 a month in loans for drexel. And thats $500 a month for 30 years. ( i try to pay more each month, b/c if i actually took 30 years, with interest etc ill have paid almost 100,000 for drexel.

MAY I REPEAT

$100,000 for 1 year at drexel! i laugh at how stupid i was to sign up for that now. Its a quick fix to getting done school yes, but any regard for your future and you will not go here. Its a horror year that you have to give up your life for. In a crappy falling apart building in center city, its just a miserable year. I passed no problem, but many many people didnt make it out alive :)

I only say this because i wish someone had told me before i decided i wanted to go there. I just want all to know both side of the story. Feel free to email me with any questions.

AugustRain · Mar 31, 2009

I graduated the drexel ACE program. The hospitals i was at were :
In NJ - marlton rehab, underwood hospital, virtua hospital in marlton
In PA- shriners hospital, Hosp of the Univ of Penn, hahnemann, nazareth hospital, watermark nursing home, 11th streethealth clinic,
Yes youll take tons of HESI - the final comprehensive one being very difficult. There were roughly 130 in my starting class ( MUCH less as a final number haha) and for lecture we were divided alphabetically into 3 sessions.
For the first quarter u are in class 4 days a week and 1 clinical
The other 3 quarters are class all day mon and tues and 3 out of the 4 next days are clinical days ( meaning yes you could have a saturday clinical..but then off a tues or wed etc )
Looking back yea it was a quick 11 months, but i would not do the program again. For the amount of debt i am in from the program, it has completely hindered my life moving forward. Drexel tells you how much nurses make in the city etc and they always add an extra 10,000 to the actual number. Im a first year grad with a salary of roughly 48-49,000 with a takehome base pay of about 38,000. I work now in Camden, on the other side of the bridge outside of philly, and my philly friends only make about a dollar more than me an hour so its now that big of a difference.
My hospital i work at is one of the only around who give a starting bonus to new grads 10,000 which i got and was glad to get. HOWEVER
if i had went to the nursing school that school offered i could have had FREE TUITION with only a 1 year contract to work after.
I definitly would have gone back for 2 years instead of just the 1 to not have this looming debt.
Just so everyone knows - b/c people always ask me this : I have standard student loans through sallie mae and some state ones and pay about $500 a month in loans for drexel. And thats $500 a month for 30 years. ( i try to pay more each month, b/c if i actually took 30 years, with interest etc ill have paid almost 100,000 for drexel.
MAY I REPEAT
$100,000 for 1 year at drexel! i laugh at how stupid i was to sign up for that now. Its a quick fix to getting done school yes, but any regard for your future and you will not go here. Its a horror year that you have to give up your life for. In a crappy falling apart building in center city, its just a miserable year. I passed no problem, but many many people didnt make it out alive :)
I only say this because i wish someone had told me before i decided i wanted to go there. I just want all to know both side of the story. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Glad you survived the program, I'm a 3rd quarter student right now. I've met some ACE grads during clinicals and such, and keep hearing that students tend to have good job prospects at graduation - was that your experience, as well? Also, when did you start applying? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

k8dubcoran · Mar 31, 2009

i personally waited until after i knew i passed the nclex before i applied. For one, i wanted some down time, for two, the application process is fairly quick....it doesnt take weeks and weeks to find a job. Some people did it different and had applied before they even took the final HESI. i didnt want to get a job and then god forbid not pass hesi or nclex and have to go to them and say i failed and cant start yet. I played it safe as far as finding a job went. A lot of the philly hospitals are glad to have ACE students...opinions are kind of skewed though. Some hosps see ACEers as hard workers, others see them as the 'neurotic head strong type a' personality that im sure youve seen during the program. But overall, it carries a good name. The NJ hospitals dont necessarily care that you were in ACE, they probably dont even know what it is, but they are glad to have nurses with a BSN since a lot still accept an associates. It was fairly easy to find a job at the time. However, im currently looking to move to a new field, so ive been job hunting as well. i did my med-surg year that i wanted to get done and now all of a sudden the job market is fairly poor. I dont know if the economy is to blame or what. I really only see generally ICU and ER jobs available that all want experience. Im sure that could all fluctuate by the time you are done though. Good Luck!