Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program Goals and Patient Care Practices

Purpose: To examine Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) programs' goals and guiding philosophies and how they influence patient care practices for sexual assault victims. Design: Data were collected from a national random sample of SANE to examine whether programs differed significantly in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nursing scholarship 2006-06, Vol.38 (2), p.180-186
Main Authors: Patterson, Debra, Campbell, Rebecca, Townsend, Stephanie M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cluster Analysis
Comprehensive Health Care
Emergency Medical Services - organization & administration
Female
Feminism
Forensic Medicine
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Male
Nurses
Nursing
Nursing Service, Hospital - organization & administration
Organizational Objectives
Patient Advocacy
Patient Education as Topic
rape
Rape - diagnosis
Rape - legislation & jurisprudence
Rape - psychology
Rape - rehabilitation
Sex crimes
sexual assault
sexual assault nurse examiners
United States
Victims of crime
Women's Health
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Summary:Purpose: To examine Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) programs' goals and guiding philosophies and how they influence patient care practices for sexual assault victims. Design: Data were collected from a national random sample of SANE to examine whether programs differed significantly in their goals and patient care practices. Methods: Iterative cluster analysis was used to identify types of programs distinct in their stated goals. Findings: Three types of emphasis in SANE programs were identified: (a) prosecution of cases as a primary goal; (b) attending to patients' emotional needs, supporting feminist values, empowering patients, and changing the community response to rape; and (c) least importance on prosecution of cases and average importance on the other goals. Programs that were more focused on prosecution goals provided less comprehensive patient services. Conclusions: Programs focused on prosecution as a primary goal were less likely to provide comprehensive services, especially those involving patient education. Such information is important for patients because their health concerns (e.g., pregnancy, STIs) have long‐term implications for their well‐being. Historical and structural differences among SANE programs might explain these different patient care practices. Researchers should examine the underlying processes in SANE programs that shape both their goals and patient care approaches.
ISSN:1527-6546
1547-5069
DOI:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2006.00098.x