This semester, the nursing program kicked off a curriculum overhaul, leveling out the workload over the course of the program.

Norah M.M. Airth-Kindree, assistant nursing professor at UW-Eau Claire was on the board that developed the first couple courses in the new curriculum.

“One important enhancement at the sophomore level is the alignment of assignments across multiple courses to help students connect concepts on several levels,” Airth-Kindree said.

Junior Maddie Fellinger is in the second semester of the program and part of the last cohort to graduate with the older curriculum.

“There’s been a long history of people complaining that the semester I’m in is the hardest in the program,” Fellinger said.

Fellinger said just how many skills her cohort and those before her were taught at once and how stressful it is. She said she wished she were in the group because the work is beginning to pile up.

The shift is evident at first glance of the change in the suggested class plans distributed by the college of Nursing and Health Sciences. There are some classes added to replace seven credit courses in two semesters.

Airth-Kindree explained that 40 students are accepted to the Eau Claire campus program per semester and another 16 to the Marshfield satellite campus program. The assistant professor is not currently teaching the newly admitted students, but has heard from the faculty that do, the students are enjoying their coursework.