Critical Gap in Trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Being Addressed by Specialized TAMIU-SANE Program
Across the nation, nursing shortages are leading to gaps in healthcare.
One of these is in the critical area of sexual assault, where trained sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) conduct assessments, recognize and respond to trauma, protect against sexually transmitted infections, and collect the evidence needed to prosecute the survivor’s attacker.
SANE-certified nurses are few, and broad swaths of regions and states are often without an examiner, prompting victims to travel many miles for care. Sadly, some can’t and try to recover on their own.
A federally-funded program at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) in Laredo, TX is helping to bridge that gap and address the need for SANE nurses through a collaborative certification program that is building resilience for the expansive and underserved U.S.-México border. Organizers believe it offers a model for others to use and follow.
How it Works
Practicing registered nurses, especially those working the emergency rooms and free-standing clinics in local and surrounding communities, are eligible for the training, paid for by Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration grant funds. Teaching is online while hands-on elements are conducted through simulation using live models. Program participants are placed in affiliated clinical facilities to conduct forensic examinations with supervision. A stipend is provided to the students.
SANE nurse candidates complete a self-paced program tightly focused on trauma-informed care as well as the preservation of evidence. After completing requirements, trainees are eligible for CA-SANE certification from the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
Impact to Date
TAMIU Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. Marivic Torregosa was frank about the importance of such programs, and the impact the TAMIU-SANE program has already achieved.
“These SANE-certified nurses see people at what is most likely the darkest, scariest moment in their lives. The experience that these survivors have been through is horrendous, and life-altering, and requires the full attention of a trained professional who can be a pillar of hope to help survivors move forward to healing.
“THE TAMIU-SANE program is blessed to work with 23 committed local and external partners to create a program that since its 2018 inception has successfully certified 36 OAG-certified SANEs. We’ve expanded to certify 15 Pediatric SANEs, and secured 16 additional Adult and Adolescent Certifications,” Dr. Torregosa said.
What SANE Nurses Do
“SANE nurses stand as community guardians, serving sexual assault survivors through a unique blend of medical, emotional, and legal support. Their work resonates profoundly in our community, fostering safety, justice, and healing,” Torregosa explained.
She said SANE nurses provide medical care, collect and preserve forensic evidence for law enforcement, can testify in court, elevate a hospital’s standard of care for sexual assault victims, domestic violence, and human trafficking patients, and are also crucial contributors to Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART) -- where their unique skills and insights enhance the effectiveness and compassionate response to sexual assault cases.
“Most importantly, SANE nurses provide crucial emotional support for survivors and act as vital links to resources for survivors to receive counseling services, legal assistance, and secure support from survivor advocacy groups,” she noted.
An Expanded SANE Future
Torregosa said the program has already identified new areas of impact and has enhanced the program to further magnify its impact.
“Some of the areas we’re expanding to include All-Age Care so that certified SANEs can provide care to patients across all age groups, following the Pediatric and Adult & Adolescent Certification. We’re also providing simultaneous dual certification in both Adult & Adolescent fields, expanding these nurses’ expertise and versatility.
“Through mock trials with our Webb County district attorney’s office and local law enforcement, we’re preparing our nurses for potential courtroom experiences. Finally, we’ve also developed a Trauma Management Course led by renowned expert Glenda C. Walker, RN, Ph.D. to better equip students with foundations of trauma-informed care to deepen their understanding of trauma and Trauma-Informed Care.
Who Should Be a SANE Nurse?
Torregosa doesn’t deny that a SANE Nurse will find the challenge daunting, but believes her program’s certified completers have the right stuff.
“All nurses care, it’s the absolute core of our profession… but SANE nurses are called upon to care in situations that defy our understanding of humanity. There are no clocks for SANE nurses because sexual assault denies them. There is a level of mental and physical trauma that will truly try a SANE nurse. It is a heavy load, but the impact a SANE nurse can have is undeniable and beyond measure. The comfort SANE nurses can provide and the healing and recovery they can encourage quite simply changes lives,” she concluded.
The TAMIU-SANE Program continues to seek program candidates and offers stipends to registered or advanced practice nurses interested in completing their SANE certification. For more information, please visit go.tamiu.edu/sane or for more information about the TAMIU-SANE Program, please email maria.benavides@tamiu.edu or call 956.326.3575.
