American Career College Prepares New Grads for Real-World Nursing: Exclusive Interview with Dean Julie France on Transition to Practice
- Integrated ATI Partnership Delivers Consistent NCLEX-RN and Practice Readiness
- 800+ Clinical Hours and the "Perpetual Job Interview" Model
- Building Professionalism, Confidence, and Real-World Navigation Skills
- Serving Diverse Metro Populations Through Ethics and Community Focus
- LVN to RN Advancement Opportunities and Stair-Step Career Progression
- Addressing Retention: Loyalty, Career Breadth, and Student Supports
- Strong Clinical Partnerships Drive Hiring Success
- American Career College Prepares New Grads for Real-World Nursing
- Latest Articles & Guides
New graduate nurses often describe the leap from classroom to bedside as one of the most jarring transitions in healthcare. The NCLEX-RN tests ideal scenarios, but the reality of diverse patient populations, high-acuity units, and the pressure to perform independently in understaffed environments can feel overwhelming. American Career College (ACC) is tackling that gap head-on through its Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program in the heart of Los Angeles.
In an exclusive interview with RegisteredNursing.org, Julie France, MSN/Ed, RN, Regional Campus Dean of Nursing at American Career College, detailed how the school's 20-month ADN curriculum, extensive clinical partnerships, and deliberate transition-to-practice supports help produce safe, competent novice nurses ready for the workforce. With a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate of 94.85 percent in 2024/2025, more than 800 hours of real-world clinical rotations through its network of clinical partners in the Los Angeles area, and layered student mentorship, ACC's approach stands out in California's competitive nursing education landscape.
"Our ultimate goal is to create safe, competent, new novice nurses that are ready for the workforce by the end of the program," France told RegisteredNursing.org. "Our curriculum is based on our end-of-program student learning outcomes that start from foundational knowledge, and it builds throughout. They start out as babies and end up as a full-grown new novice nurse."
Integrated ATI Partnership Delivers Consistent NCLEX-RN and Practice Readiness
ACC fully integrates ATI into both its curriculum and NCLEX preparation, a move the school made in 2024 when it updated textbooks and modules to align everything under one platform. Students use ATI's e-based modules for assignments, reading, and concept mastery activities that directly mirror NCLEX content areas.
In the final term, students complete Virtual ATI (VATI), working through each content area with assessments that generate personalized reports. "What am I strong in? What do I need to work on?" France explained. Those who finish VATI and achieve ATI's "green light" receive a powerful confidence boost: a reported 98 percent chance of passing the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt if they test within three weeks.
France frames it practically for students: "I tell the students this is an insurance. Why wouldn't you do it?" She acknowledged that some seniors grow weary of the rigor, stating, "I'm done, I want to take this, I'm tired of ATI," but emphasized that the program intentionally over-prepares them. The seamless consistency between classroom, clinical, and exam prep helps graduates avoid the common mental adjustment many new nurses face when switching NCLEX platforms mid-journey.
800+ Clinical Hours and the "Perpetual Job Interview" Model
ACC's clinical network is one of its strongest differentiators. Students complete more than 800 hours of hands-on rotations at partner facilities serving Los Angeles' diverse and often underserved communities. These hours include skills lab, simulation, and direct patient care. Many graduates are hired directly by those same institutions.
"The clinical partners want this too, they want to hire our students," France said. "We make sure the students understand that we serve our community… we can't pick our patients, we can't pick their background." The school deliberately acclimates students to the populations they will encounter as working nurses.
France described clinical rotations as far more than skill practice, "We tell them you're kind of on a perpetual job interview. They're looking at you." Clinical faculty report back that hiring teams notice which students proactively answer call lights, make eye contact, and engage versus those who stand against the wall. "That's Kati. She's answering call lights all the time, and we love her," France recounted as typical feedback.
The advantage works in both directions. Graduates already know facility policies, procedures, and culture, while employers have had months to evaluate potential hires in action. Many ACC alumni now serve as charge nurses or managers at partner sites, and a significant number of clinical faculty are also graduates, thus creating a strong, self-reinforcing network.
Building Professionalism, Confidence, and Real-World Navigation Skills
ACC embeds transition-to-practice training throughout the program. Students begin with Nurse 101 early on and revisit the concepts in the final-term capstone. On-campus simulation labs provide a safe "no harm, no foul" environment where mistakes carry no risk to patients.
A major emphasis is placed on teaching professional communication and workplace tact, skills that many tech-reliant students benefit from developing during the program. France noted that today's students sometimes need guidance on these professional norms. "The students today are lacking that a little bit," she said candidly. "To behave professionally, to knock or to say, ‘Do you have a minute? I'd like to ask you a question,' or having eye contact. ‘Hi, how are you today? My name's Julie.'" She added that it's the school's role to mentor students in these areas because "they genuinely don't know." The program coaches students on how to ask for help productively: "Make sure that you do your work ahead of time… say, ‘I looked in the policy and procedure, I also looked in my textbook, and I still have questions.' That tells the people I've done some work, but I still have questions." France stressed this approach combats the "nurses eat their young" culture and signals initiative to preceptors and charge nurses.
Serving Diverse Metro Populations Through Ethics and Community Focus
With multiple campuses across metro regions, ACC tailors its curriculum to the unique challenges of Los Angeles' diverse patient demographics. France grounded the approach in the ANA Code of Ethics: "Every patient deserves care… we all deserve respect, and everybody deserves the right to care and the best possible outcomes that they can have and that doesn't discriminate."
Students learn to support complex cases they may never have encountered, such as caring for unhoused families in shelters, while maintaining evidence-based, compassionate practice.
LVN to RN Advancement Opportunities and Stair-Step Career Progression
ACC offers a robust VN program alongside its ADN program, with opportunities for VNs to continue their nursing education toward becoming RNs. France reported that a large number of ADN applicants are former vocational nursing graduates who view the programs as a deliberate stair-step approach. Many complete the shorter VN program (in under one year full-time), gain employment, and later return to pursue the ADN program. Transfer credits for general education courses are accepted where applicable, and returning students benefit from familiar faculty and campus culture.
After earning their ADN and passing the NCLEX-RN, many continue to a bachelor's degree. "They see it as a stair-step approach," France noted. The continuity provides built-in mentorship and reduces transition anxiety for repeat students.
Learn more about LPN/LVN to RN programs.
Addressing Retention: Loyalty, Career Breadth, and Student Supports
RegisteredNursing.org frequently hears from employers about new-grad retention challenges, with industry reports showing 20-25 percent of new nurses leaving direct care within their first year. ACC does not track long-term retention percentages but surveys employers and hiring partners regularly.
"We hear this all the time: ‘How can you help us get loyalty?'" France said. The school openly discusses the issue with students, sharing France's own 14-year tenure as an example and emphasizing how staying at one organization can support career advancement. Students are encouraged to look beyond acute care bedside roles to the full scope of nursing opportunities, including hospice, home health, and emerging models.
To keep students academically and personally on track, ACC uses structured 3-5-7 week check-ins during each 10-week term. Any student scoring 80 percent or below receives proactive advisement, referrals to the Assistant Director of Persistence and Outcomes (a dedicated tutor and remediation specialist), and peer support through the Student ATI Mentors (SAMs) program. High-achieving students who earn an A can become SAM facilitators and receive honor cords, special jackets, certificates, and faculty recognition for mentoring juniors.
Faculty receive their own mentorship upon hiring and must maintain currency through rigorous ACEN accreditation processes. France noted the national nursing faculty shortage but highlighted ACC's low-turnover goal and peer-support model.
Strong Clinical Partnerships Drive Hiring Success
Throughout the interview, France repeatedly returned to ACC's tight, collaborative relationships with clinical partners as one of the program's greatest strengths. "We do stay in really tight communication with our clinical partners," she said. When facilities have open positions, they reach out directly to the school, asking ACC to help identify top-performing students for interviews. In some cases, hiring managers request permission to attend post-conference sessions to speak with students about job opportunities on the spot.
This two-way partnership benefits both sides. Clinical sites get to know students over hundreds of hours of rotations, while graduates already understand the facility's policies, culture, and workflows. France noted that many ACC alumni have advanced into charge nurse or manager roles at these same sites, creating a natural pipeline.
Equally important is the stability of ACC's clinical coordination team. "My clinical manager, she's been here for five years, so they know her," France explained. That continuity eliminates the revolving-door feel many schools experience, helping maintain strong, long-term relationships that ultimately give ACC graduates a meaningful edge in securing their first nursing position.
American Career College Prepares New Grads for Real-World Nursing
For prospective ADN students in the Los Angeles metro area, American Career College's model offers a clear advantage: high NCLEX pass rates, extensive hands-on experience in the exact communities graduates will serve, deliberate professionalism training, robust academic and personal support, and a realistic view of long-term nursing career paths.
As France summed up, the program's goal is to turn students into nurses who are not only licensed but also truly prepared to deliver safe, compassionate care while navigating the real-world of modern healthcare. In a competitive California job market where new-grad positions remain challenging to secure, ACC's focus on transition-to-practice appears to be delivering exactly the outcomes both students and employers need.
The opinion is the individual's sole opinion and not necessarily representative of that of the school, any instructor, or any other student. ACC provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment.
NCLEX-RN 2024/2025 First-Time Test Takers (Passed/Overall Total) – 258/272 Passage Rate – 94.85%
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