Retaining & Elevating Oregon's Nurse Educator Workforce
A Multi-Year Strategy to Sustain and Strengthen Nurse Education
RENEW is a statewide initiative developed and led by the Oregon Center for Nursing to address the growing gap between Oregon’s healthcare workforce needs and the capacity of its nursing education infrastructure.
Funded by a $5 million legislative investment through House Bill 3396 (2023), RENEW supports research, grantmaking, and statewide engagement focused on recruiting, retaining, and elevating nurse educators across Oregon’s public institutions.
With a multi-year scope (2024–2028), RENEW combines data, partnership, and targeted funding to support nurse educator retention and recruitment — and ultimately, a more sustainable future for Oregon’s nursing workforce.
Statewide Research and Listening Tour
In 2024–2025, OCN conducted a statewide listening tour to better understand the lived experience of Oregon’s public nursing faculty. This included individual interviews, stakeholder roundtables, and system-level insights designed to inform future interventions.
Grants to Enhance Nurse Education Workforce
RENEW awarded over $2.6 million in grant funding to public nursing education programs. These grants support locally designed recruitment and retention efforts — including pilot strategies, workload redesign, professional development, and more.
Evidence-Backed Insights and Reporting
Grant recipients will share outcomes that inform statewide learning and practical solutions. These insights will be compiled into shared knowledge products, creating a library of tested ideas for the broader nursing community.
Knowledge Sharing and Resource Development
OCN will convene webinars, write-ups, and resource briefs based on findings throughout the initiative. Program learnings are intended to outlast the grant period and fuel future investment and decision-making.
See What RENEW is Funding Across Oregon - Ten-Locally-Led Projects
Program At-A-Glance
Funding Allocation (2024-2028)
- $2.6M+ awarded across 10 eligible programs
- $840K reserved for a future statewide project, to be developed based on ongoing qualitative research
- 2M allocated for consulting, convening, and program administration
Expected Outcomes by 2028
- 5% reduction in faculty turnover rates
- 5% reduction in nurse educator vacancy rates
- Strengthened pipeline and long-term sustainability for Oregon’s nurse educator workforce
The RENEW (Retaining and Elevating the Nurse Educator Workforce) initiative, led by the Oregon Center for Nursing, is a multi-year investment to strengthen Oregon’s nursing education system. Funded through House Bill 3396, RENEW supports public nursing programs through research, grant funding, faculty engagement, and system-level collaboration. Designed to address persistent challenges in nurse educator recruitment and retention, RENEW provides data-driven strategies and statewide coordination to build long-term capacity in Oregon’s nursing workforce.