The OCNE was designed as a long-term solution to the state's nursing shortage and in response to the need for a new kind of nurse to care for Oregon's aging and increasingly diverse population.

The "new nurse," Oregon's nursing leaders determined, would need to achieve several competencies that are currently not addressed, or addressed inadequately, in existing nursing curricula. Relying on studies of leading health indicators (Healthy People 2010), safety and quality issues (Institute on Medicine), and on numerous analyses of necessary competencies for health professionals and nurses (Pew, Institute on Medicine, American Association of Colleges of Nursing), they identified 18 competencies that would describe the "new nurse," one who could function effectively in the rapidly changing health care environment.

The new set of core competencies is essential for addressing the evolving health care needs of the population, the significant changes in the delivery of health care, the growth of nursing science, and the likelihood of a continuing inadequate supply of RNs to provide care in traditional ways. The core competencies address the need for nurses to be skilled in clinical judgment and critical thinking; evidence-based practice; relationship-centered care; interdisciplinary collaboration; leadership; assisting individuals and families in self-care practices for promotion of health and management of chronic illness; and teaching, delegation and supervision of caregivers.

The OCNE model creates opportunities for greater numbers of students to obtain necessary clinical experiences in community-based and long-term care setting, provide high-quality experiences that better prepare nurses for current and future practice, and reduce staff nurse strain and risks to patient safety. The new model incorporates experiences in community-based clinical settings that emphasize health promotion and chronic illness care, as well as traditional inpatient settings. High-fidelity simulation is integral to the clinical education program. Simulation creates reliable opportunities to give students experience in situations that happen unpredictably in clinical practice (e.g., emergency situations), provide "hands on" experience and valuable debriefing in multiple situations requiring skilled clinical judgment, and augments experiences in short supply in some settings (e.g., acute pediatric experiences in rural areas).