Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program: Long-term impact on confidence and attitudes on SANE trainees

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Sexual Assault Forensics
• Public Health

Background:

• Shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) nationally, particularly in medically underserved regions like the US-Mexico border.
• Human trafficking and potential underreporting of sexual assaults in border regions necessitate increased SANE presence.
• While SANE training programs exist, their long-term impact on trainees remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term effects of SANE programming on trainee confidence.
• To evaluate changes in attitudes toward the SANE role post-certification.
• To identify factors influencing SANE retention and program sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive longitudinal study with repeated measures.
• Recruited 66 registered nurses with >2 years of experience for SANE training.
• Collected questionnaire data from 27 participants at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-certification.

Main Results:

• Trainee self-confidence increased at 6 months post-certification but declined by 12 months.
• Attitudes toward the SANE role also deteriorated 6 months after certification.
• Diminishing confidence and attitudes may be linked to insufficient support and infrastructure.

Conclusions:

• Lack of medico-legal support and infrastructure contributes to decreased SANE confidence and role satisfaction.
• Findings highlight the need for robust support systems to improve SANE recruitment and retention.
• Establishing integrated protocols, particularly in underserved border regions, is crucial for SANE program sustainability and effectiveness.