The Ins and Outs of Being a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

With excerpts from IAFN Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Certification, by Jacqueline Callari Robinson, BSN, RN, SANE-A/P, Editor

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner: What Does It Mean?

SANEs are nurses who have received specialized training to provide comprehensive care to patients who experience sexual violence. A SANE is a type of forensic nurse; a forensic nurse works with victims of violence to provide medical forensic care, including evidence collection and testimony provision. Forensic nursing is a blend of nursing science, forensic science principles, and the legal system.

A nurse can be certified as a SANE-A, who is trained to care for adult and adolescent victims of sexual assault, or a SANE-P, who is trained to care for pediatric patients and adolescent patients. Some SANEs are certified for both patient populations. If you think that this branch of nursing is limited in the number of patients, that is not the case: 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes, says the CDC. In fact, there is a dire need for more certified SANEs across the country, especially in rural areas.

What Does a SANE Do?

SANEs are forensic nurses who work specifically with victims of sexual assault, typically in hospital emergency departments. Often, they are the first point of care, providing patient-centered, culturally sensitive care to patients who have experienced sexual violence. SANEs provide evidence-based treatment, assess patients, and collect evidence. They conduct medical forensic exams, which document trauma from the assault and collect evidence that could be used in a trial. This includes taking a medical history; documenting injuries, including taking photos; collecting DNA swabs; and observing the patient’s behavior. They are often called upon to testify in court as an expert witness.

What Type of Person Is a SANE?

SANEs need to be able to cope with patients who may be suffering significant physical and emotional trauma from an act of violence. They also need to be highly collaborative, as they will often work with a Sexual Assault Response Team, a multidisciplinary team designed to work with sexual assault patients. Most of all, SANEs need to be compassionate and patient and able to handle very complicated and distressing situations, while always maintaining a safe environment for the patient.

How Do I Become a SANE?

SANEs must have an active RN license and have practiced nursing for at least two years as an RN (or higher-level nurse). To become SANE certified, the RN must complete a minimum 40-hour SANE didactic course by an accredited provider; complete a clinical preceptorship; and earn 300 hours of SANE-related practice within the past 3 years.

Are You Preparing for the Exam?

Prepare to pass the SANE-A or SANE-P exam with IAFN Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Certification, an authoritative resource co-published with the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) and written and edited by expert SANEs. It includes an extensive content review, more than 300 exam-style Q&As with detailed rationales, and 15 case studies with nearly 40 case-study Q&As.

Resources

Nursing@Georgetown. (November 11, 2019). From Forensics to Advocacy: What it’s Like to be a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner). Retrieved from https://dailynurse.com/from-forensics-to-advocacy-what-its-like-to-be-a-sexual-assault-nurse-examiner-sane/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing Sexual Violence. (January 17, 2020). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html