The Role Of The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner A Look Into SANE Programs
tudies have shown that well as testify in trials as
less than half of the expert witnesses in the victim s
victims of sexual assault perpetrator s trials.
treated in emergency rooms get
basic help with information about They have extensive training in
the risk of pregnancy or forensic evidence collection,
emergency contraception to expert witness testimony, STD
prevent pregnancy. treatment, and pregnancy
evaluation. 75% of SANE programs
They have to wait for sometimes are hospital based, housed in the
up to six hours for treatment, emergency rooms while 25% are in
and during this wait, they re the community setting at rape
told not to eat, drink, or even crisis centers or health clinics.
use the bathroom before they re
examined because it might destroy The first SANE programs started
evidence. in the mid 1970 s but it wasn t
until the late 1980 s that the
By the time of the examination, programs got a major growth spurt
victims often feel re-raped as they grew more rapidly in the
from the treatment by the staff 1990 s when localities started to
of the emergency room. For this see the benefits of what these
reason, emergency rooms are SANE programs have to offer. And
realizing a need for SANE by 1996, there were approximately
programs. 70 programs in existence.
SANE s are registered nurses who Now, there are at least 280 SANE
have specialized training in programs throughout the United
examining victims of sexual States. Nearly all of these SANE
assault. They provide much needed programs serve adolescents and
emotional support for victims as adults, and around half serve
pediatric patients.
Many municipalities are starting
The programs are staffed by RN s to see the need in these much
and nurse practitioners that needed programs. They offer a
conduct forensic exams of victims great service to victims by
of sexual assault. They are quickly processing forensic
required by law to report to evidence and giving emotional
local law enforcement sexual support while making their time
assaults that may have caused the to wait for examination as short
victim injury. as possible.
On the other hand, the victim has As SANE programs get more and
the right to decide to have more popular, we ll start to see
evidence collected and cooperate many more of these programs as
with law enforcement by providing time goes on and this can only
them with information. After a help the victims of sexual
SANE program is established, most violence and help put their
emergency room personnel are perpetrators behind bars so they
relieved by the service that SANE won t have a chance to hurt
s provide. anyone else.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com
Larry Ford runs a website about forensic nursing . You can find it at www.forensicnursingzone.com/
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