Making encounters count: Healthcare professionals' experiences of providing care in Norwegian sexual assault centres

BackgroundAlthough the negative health consequences of sexual assault are well documented, less is known about how healthcare experience and navigate their clinical and medico-legal roles when providing care in the immediate aftermath of an assault. Understanding these processes is important for strengthening care practices within sexual assault centres (SACs).ObjectivesTo explore how healthcare personnel (HCP) at Norwegian SACs understand, reflect on, and navigate their work during acute sexual assault consultations, to better understand the clinical, relational, and medico-legal dimensions of this care.DesignQualitative study based on focus groups and reflexive thematic analysis.MethodsFour focus group interviews were conducted with physicians and nurses from four SACs across Norway. Interviews lasted for 75-100 minutes and explored clinical decision-making, emotional experiences, and perceptions of the SAC role. Data was analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis, which emphasizes the active, interpretive role of researchers and is well suited to examining how professionals construct meaning in complex care contexts.ResultsThree overarching themes were identified. (1) A practice to believe in - professional purpose despite limited training and lack of institutional recognition. Healthcare personnel described their work as meaningful and socially important, despite limited training and a lack of institutional recognition. (2) Navigating medico-legal demands while providing care in vulnerable encounters. Healthcare personnel reflected on balancing forensic responsibilities with patients' needs for safety, autonomy, and dignity. (3) The need to reset - carrying the unsolved. HCP described the emotional residue of SAC work, the lingering impact of unresolved cases, and the role of collegial support and personal strategies in sustaining professional endurance.ConclusionHealthcare professionals in Norwegian SACs navigate complex clinical, medico-legal, and emotional demands when providing care after sexual assault. The findings highlight tensions between care and forensic responsibilities and point to the need for strengthened training and organizational support. Greater attention to these dimensions may improve how care is delivered in SAC settings.