SANE Nurse Education Webinar
How are Arkansans impacted by sexual assault?
What is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)?
Do you have an interest in forensics?
Arkansas Nurses Association wants to educate nurses on the topic of caring for sexually assaulted patients in the state of Arkansas.
According to, worldpopulationreview.com, instance of rape is 77.2 rapes per 100,000 people in Arkansas. Which seats us at #2 in the United States for rape. But, in our state sexual assault covers more than rape such as, fondling, sexual extortion, exposure, and incest, just to name a few. Noticing the signs and language patients may use to talk about what happened to them, the ability to determine if a medical forensic exam is an option for the patient becomes more apparent.
The overall goal of SANEs is to assist patients with their health care needs by providing medical forensic care, access to resources and support, and applying a holistic approach to the care of the patient. Sexual assault can affect every aspect of a victim’s life and may present with co-trauma. The goal with each patient encounter is to give the power back to the patient which was taken from them during the sexual assault. In some instances, this may lead to collection of forensic evidence, which with the patient’s permission, may be analyzed at the Arkansas State Crime Lab. The TeleSANE Program provides pathways for hospitals to supply the patient with the care they need and deserve by informing patients of each step of their medical forensic care, options for care, the possibility of evidence collection, and options for reporting, which are essential to allow for a standardized care of practice throughout the state of Arkansas, no matter which hospital a patient walks into.
It is important to note, sexual assault is widely under reported, and therefore statistics on sexual assault are not always accurate depictions of the number of occurrence. Multiple studies indicate outcomes for patients, their medical care, forensic evidence collection, and prosecution outcomes are all positively affected by the involvement of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) in the care of the patient.
Sexual assault is a community problem and must be addressed as such. Many different entities and programs are involved at various stages of caring for a victim of sexual assault, from the advocates and support services, police officers, crime lab, and prosecuting attorneys. The care they receive from SANEs is one step in a long staircase. As these entities work together to develop a fully supportive system for our patients, the one thing nurses can do is to ensure the patient is receiving the best medical forensic care available, to each and every Arkansan who needs it.
ARNA is developing a partnership with UAMS’s TeleSANE, Digital Health Sexual Assault Assessment Program to educate, train and certify more SANE nurses. Arkansas currently has ONLY seven SANE nurses in the state.
We invite you to an inaugural educational opportunity to learn more about how you can be a part of the care team for victims of sexual assault.
When: Wednesday, September 29, 2021 5:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAudO6rpjMtHNOoPFXA5qgD9pTNM6cx1Cck
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
1.0 contact hour is available for this presentation, provided by UAMS.
If you would like to reach teleSANE in regards to becoming a provider, or you have questions about this program or services, please email .
