Gender-Affirming Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Care: A Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement Project at a...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Gender-Affirming Care
• Sexual Assault Victim Support

Background:

• Transgender and non-binary individuals experience higher rates of sexual violence.
• Discrimination within rape crisis centers (RCCs) poses a barrier to care for transgender survivors.
• Sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) require specialized training to effectively support the transgender community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance SANEs' self-perceived competence in caring for transgender assault survivors.
• To assess and promote a transgender-inclusive environment within an RCC through environmental evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Developed and delivered a virtual continuing education course on gender-affirming and transgender-specific care.
• Assessed SANE competency using pre- and post-training questionnaires with paired t tests.
• Evaluated RCC inclusivity using a modified assessment tool.

Main Results:

• Training significantly improved SANE self-perceived competency across all measured areas (p < 0.005).
• Prior to training, many SANEs reported limited or no expertise in caring for transgender clients.
• While some had prior training, specific transgender content was often absent in formal SANE education, highlighting a need for further training.

Conclusions:

• Transgender-specific training is effective, feasible, and well-received by SANEs.
• Wider dissemination of this training, including integration into SANE curriculum guidelines, could improve care globally.
• Such training is vital for fostering inclusive and competent care for transgender assault survivors.