Newswise — There are increasing opportunities for nurses to become sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs), but in rural areas far from established SANE programs, nurses considering becoming SANEs have few opportunities to talk with or observe experienced SANEs to explore the role and determine their suitability for forensic and victim-service work.

SANEs are forensic nurses who work with victims of sexual assault; they combine their nursing expertise with the sensitive collection and documentation of evidence for public or legal proceedings, providing victims of sexual violence with a compassionate and comprehensive response. An exploratory, descriptive qualitative research project illustrated what the first year in practice was like for members of a new SANE team.

According to the April issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing (JEN), interviews with six first-year members of a rural SANE team led to the conclusion that the six nurses transferred well to the new role. Expertise they brought from their backgrounds as emergency nurses, women’s health nurses, and intensive care nurses eased their adaptation to the SANE role. Their high comfort levels working with clients in crisis, acting on their clinical judgments, implementing complex protocols, and adding new skills were all helpful in their role transition.

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the only professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing and emergency care through advocacy, expertise, innovation, and leadership. Founded in , ENA serves as the voice of more than 24,000 members and their patients through research, publications, professional development, injury prevention, and patient education.

Source: Emergency Nurses Association