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|  | General Guidelines about New Mexico Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs
NEW MEXICO SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER (SANE) PROGRAM
SERVING OTERO AND LINCOLN COUNTY
CELL PHONE 575-430-9485
www.sexhealthnews.org
Find us on Face book (Southern New Mexico Wellness Alliance)
What is a SANE and Their Duties
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners are RNs who have advanced training in giving medical assessment/treatment and evidence collection for victims of sexual assault. SANEs display compassion and acknowledge the patient’s dignity during every step of the examination.
The SANE response may include a test for pregnancy, medications to prevent pregnancy, antibiotics that prevent sexually transmitted infections, assessment for injury, and community referrals (limited exam). A full exam includes a head-to-toe physical assessment (referrals will be made for serious injuries), documentation of injuries including photographs, and collection of evidence.
Emergency medical attention by Emergency staff always takes priority over the SANE exam.
The SANE needs informed consent from the sexual assault patient. The patient must be able to understand, agree, and sign for each part of the exam. The only exceptions to this are in the cases of child abuse, mentally challenged patients, or elder abuse.
The SANE needs information about the patient’s medical stability, ability to give informed consent, special needs, and will schedule a time to meet the patient at the SANE exam room unless the sexual assault victim is already at the Emergency Department.
Important Information Concerning the SANE Exam
A sexual assault exam should be done within 5 days of the assault for 13 years of age and older or 3 days of the assault for 12 years old and younger. The sooner the exam is done, the better.
Encourage the patient to bring the clothes they were wearing when they were assaulted. If they are still wearing the clothes, ask them to bring a change of clothing.
If the assault was recent, discourage the patient from eating, drinking, or bathing until the exam can be conducted.
SANE programs are equipped to do only one sexual assault exam at a time. Each exam can take 2 to 4 hours and some exams may take longer.
A sexual assault adult patient does not need to file a police report to receive SANE services.
There is no cost to the sexual assault patient for services provided by the SANE.
How Do I Contact a SANE?
SANE nurses are on-call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are not physically on-site. To dispatch a SANE nurse call the SANE cell phone 430-9485, the GCRMC Emergency Department 443-7901, or a member of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART): Victim Advocate on call emergency line-430-4433, 24 Hour Rape Crisis Line-437-7404, Holloman SARC 24 hour line-572-6789.
What is a Forensic Nurse?
Forensic Nurse is commonly defined as “the application of the forensic aspects of health care combined with the bio/psycho/social/spiritual education of the registered nurse in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and/or death of victims, perpetrators of violence, criminal activity, and traumatic accidents.” (Lynch, V. Forensic Nursing, Mosby, St. Louis, Missouri 2005 p.3)
Obligated to Standards of Practice set forth by the American Nurses Association (ANA), International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), and Qualifications/Guidelines of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
o Preserve victim’s dignity and reduce psychological trauma
o Head to toe physical assessment
o Injury-written, body map, and photo documentation
o Emotional/mental health assessment
o Pregnancy test, prevention medication, and education
o Sexually Transmitted Infection assessment/treatment/education
o Safety Plan
Integral Part of a Multidisciplinary Coordinated Community Response Team
o Prompt, compassionate care and thorough comprehensive evidence collection-can corroborate victim’s account of an assault by establishing lack of consent
o Seamless delivery of specialized services
o Take part in the Safety/Justice/Health of Patient/Family/Community
o Increase funding opportunities
Prevention Education
Community Outreach
History of the SANE Program
GCRMC along with the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and The Counseling Center collaborated to establish a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program in November of 2003 with GCRMC as grant fiscal agent/subcontractor and exam facility. In 2006, the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs asked the Otero County SANE Program to consider collaboration with Lincoln County. The Program became the SANE Program of Otero/Lincoln County shortly after.
SANE Program of Otero/Lincoln County
In 2011, the SANE Program has five active RNs and one Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with advanced education, training, and experience to conduct timely, compassionate, and culturally sensitive comprehensive medical/forensic examinations for victims of sexual assault. The Program Coordinator is Tina Godby-Ware, RN, BSN, SANE-A; the Clinical Coordinator is Celeste Siebel, RN, BSN, SANE-A; and the Medical Advisor is Jeanne Monske, PNP, SANE-A. The Program is grant driven. Erase funded by two current grants: One from the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Department of Health Injury Prevention Fund and one from the Crime Victims Reparation Commission from the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program.
Coordinated Community Response
Successful SANE Programs do not operate in isolation. They must be integral in community coordination efforts to facilitate comprehensive and effective response (U.S. Department of Justice). The SANE Program of Otero and Lincoln County has taken a lead role in the coordination of sexual assault services. The Program Coordinator has served as Chairperson of the Otero County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) from May of 2005 to July of 2008. SART meetings are held once a month in Alamogordo, Mescalero, and Ruidoso to facilitate team attendance. There are currently approximately 19 agencies from both counties that participate in the coordinated sexual assault response.
DATA: exam information from the Otero/Lincoln SANE Program. Colation of additional data began in 2006.
2003: 2 victim exams
2004: 9 victim exams
2005: 22 victim exams
2006: 35 victim exams
4 victims were under age 13 (In September 2006, two SANE nurses became qualified to perform pediatric (under age 13) exams. Before then pediatric exams were not done in Otero/Lincoln County.)
2007: 42 victim exams
15 victims were under age 13 (3 were male)
2008: 58 victim exams
2009: 59 victim exams
2010: 66 victim exams—15 victims were under 11 years old
(Note: most of these exams reflect the 17% of victims who report, we have not reached the 83% who do not)
Program Developments
In February 2008, the SANE Program Coordinator hand-picked a Board of Directors to support the growth and development of the SANE Program to include 501 c 3 status. This organization is called the Southern New Mexico Wellness Alliance.
Community outreach is vital in order to reach the 83% of victims that do not report or who do not come forward for medical and mental health services. Our goal is to educate the community on prevention and awareness about Sexual and Domestic Violence and to empower victims through education and hope.
SANEs offer free educational presentations and information to schools, civic clubs, churches, and businesses.
Take Back the Night is an international awareness event that SANEs were instrumental in bringing to Otero County in 2008. This event is held every year during April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This event has grown every year in community collaboration and partnership to “shatter the silence” of shame, guilt, fear, and humiliation that plague victims of sexual assault.
The Vagina Monologues is an award-winning global movement to stop violence against women and girls. The SANE Coordinator co-produced this theatre event in 2010 and 2011.
Start the Dialogue began with partnership between the SANE Program and Friends of the Library in 2010. Using Eve Ensler’s book I Am An Emotional Creature to encourage discussion, women of all ages examined critical girl issues and fostered communication between mothers and daughters.
Key points about New Mexico SANE Programs
Is nurse driven
Relies on community collaboration
Science and Standards change constantly so continuing education is a must
Alliance with the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (NMCSAP) provides:
o Reimbursement of sexual assault victim case fees through contracts with SANE-no cost to victim
o State SANE Coordinator
o Statewide Coordinator Task Force meetings
o Legal training, references, resources
o Materials, brochures, posters
o Legislative liaison
o Statewide basic SANE education and continuing advance SANE education
o Use of a New Mexico Sexual Assault Exam Kit (SAEK)
o State guidelines for SANE Protocols and response
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Tina Godby-Ware, RN
Celeste Siebel, RN
Angie Walsh, RN
Kay McClune, RN
Linda Fritze, RN
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