Continued from page 54 in July 2012. The team consists of nine specially trained registered nurses who offer around-theclock care to adult, adolescent and pediatric patients impacted by sexual assault and abuse. In addition to the immediate care given at the hospital, SANE nurses also aid victims with follow-up care. “The team has worked closely with victim advocacy groups throughout Weld County to provide follow up counseling, victim assistance programs and support with navigating the legal process and trauma,” says Sara Quale, public relations specialist with Banner Health Public Relations. “The nurses work collaboratively with police, prosecutors, child protective services and others to provide the best and most appropriate care.” Yet, as horrific as sexual assault crimes are, they are the most under-reported of all crimes, with the U.S. Justice Department estimating that 60 percent of victims never report their rape to police. Victims are afraid and often ashamed, frightened of being further traumatized by the legal system and frightened that the perpetrator will not be brought to justice. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, victims have good reason to worry about the latter, as they estimate that 94 percent of men who rape will never spend a day in jail. But the NCMC SANE team has helped improve those odds. “This program enables us to be experts in what we’re doing,” says Ani Matt, RN and SANE program coordinator at NCMC. “SANE has absolutely given us more specific skills. We’re trained in what to look for and what to do when it comes to injuries, gathering the victim’s history and, importantly, doing an exceptional job at evidence collection, which helps law enforcement and attorneys have greater success in prosecuting perpetrators. Basically, a SANE has one eye on the patient and one eye on the courtroom.” The SANE team is indeed well trained, with RNs (you must be an RN to be a SANE) receiving certification by completing approximately 200 hours of clinical orientation in such areas as taking medical forensic histories, head-to-toe assessment of victims, forensic documentation, use of the sexual assault evidence collection kit, trauma identification, evidence collection, treatment, and courtroom preparation and testimony. “They’ve been able to show that prosecution rates are much higher than those cases where exams have been performed by nurses without SANE training,” says Marilyn Fain, RN and director of Emergency Services at NCMC. “Our team knows what certain injuries look like; they know how to collect evidence so it stays pure and is solid evidence. They can even serve as witnesses to give testimony regarding the evidence they found during an exam.” The SANE program has also benefited the local police force, giving them a valuable and reliable partner in helping victims and prosecuting crimes. “We’re very supportive of the SANE programs in this area and we’re certainly glad to have them as a resource,” says Susan West,
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Lydia’s STYLE Magazine