Last year, the U.S. Department of Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $1.2 million to the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing to create the Georgia Forensic Nursing Network.
Once established, the network will work with partners across the state to increase the number of sexual assault nurse examiners in the state.
As with most areas of nursing, there is a critical shortage of SANEs throughout the country.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers — led by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) — have introduced the Supporting Survivors Access to Nurse Exams Act to help increase the number of sexual assault nurse examiners across the nation.
“I am so happy that we drew the attention to SANE nurses in our amendments and that now Congress is committed to funding more nurses … and having a special focus on children who are victims of sexual assault,” Ross told Carolina Public Press.
“I’m just thrilled that we have bipartisan consensus on it. I’m thrilled that the senators who are pushing this are so senior.”
SANEs are registered nurses with specialized education and clinical preparation in the medical forensic care of patients who have experienced various abuses, according to the International Association of Forensic Nurses.
“The SANE Act will address a vital issue for survivors of sexual assault in the U.S.,” Camille Cooper, vice president of public policy for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, said on RAINN’s website. “This bill will ensure that survivors not only get the medical attention they need but also the opportunity to effectively seek justice, if they decide to do so, through the proper collection of evidence. We thank Sens. Cornyn and Durbin and Reps. Joyce and Ross for their leadership in addressing this issue.”
Assault victims in most rural communities have to travel hours to access a SANE. According to RAINN, survivors in Alaska have reported taking two airplanes and traveling 15 hours to see an assault nurse. According to the International Association of Forensic Nurses, only 17-20% of American hospitals have SANEs on staff.
The Supporting Survivors Access to Nurse Exams Act:
- Provides $30 million in federal grant funding for SANE salaries for rural, tribal and underserved communities.
- Establishes regional training centers to provide critical clinical experience for SANEs before they are sent into rural areas.
- Provides funding to increase availability for pediatric nurses.
- Provides funding for mobile SANE units.
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