"I'm Just Trying to Squeeze in Hours Here and There": New SANEs' Perspectives on Challenges Gaining Practice...

There is a nationwide shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs), particularly in rural areas, which is exacerbated by a lack of infrastructure to support newly trained SANEs in gaining practice experience.

To explore the experiences of newly trained SANEs attempting to complete practice hours.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 nurses who had completed an HRSA-funded education program in a Midwestern state.

SANEs identified difficulties fitting practice hours into their personal lives and navigating the logistics of coordinating practice experiences. Facilitators for practice experience were employer support, nonclinical activities, and post-training mentorship. Some participants benefited from a toolkit resource; however, the resource was less helpful for SANEs from rural areas.

SANE education programs that elicit support from nurses' employers and create an infrastructure for sustained, personalized post-training mentorship may yield greater successes in supporting these nurses through certification and improving access to forensic nursing care.