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Sexual-assault nurses a rare breed
Program gets grants to recruit for tough job in La Plata County
Herald Staff Writer
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Nurses interested in training for certification as a sexual assault examiner may call Paulette Barlow at 759-3460. The telephone number of the Violence Prevention Coalition is 385-6127. The hot line of the Sexual Assault Services Organization is 247-5400.
"We're fortunate in Durango because we've had a SANE program since 1999," said Paulette Barlow, the SANE coordinator and a nurse at Mercy Regional Medical Center. "We have five SANE nurses and one trainee, but we need more." Coincidentally, the Violence Prevention Coalition - representing law enforcement, Mercy Regional Medical Center, district attorneys, the probation department and agencies that counsel sexual-assault victims - has received a grant to train three forensic nurses. The coalition applies each year for money through the Violence Against Women Act to pay Barlow as coordinator or to train nurses.
SANE nurses are on call. Grant money pays for their training, the state pays for court appearances and Mercy Regional Medical Center pays for "call" time.
A SANE program is needed because one in four Colorado women and one man in 17 at some time will be the victim of a sexual assault or an attempted assault. That's according to Barlow, Sgt. Rita Warfield of the Durango Police Department and Donna Bailey, executive director of the Violence Prevention Coalition, who were interviewed last week. Bailey's organization serves Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties.
SANE nurses examine assault victims from head to toe to gather evidence for a "forensic kit" to be used by prosecutors if a case goes to trial. Evidence may include cranial and pubic hairs, fingernail clippings, a mouth swab, photos of the mouth and genital area, foreign bodies - anything that can link a perpetrator to the assault. Blood and urine samples are collected only in cases involving date-rape drugs. Kits are sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for processing.
If victims don't want to report the assault immediately, a law-enforcement agency keeps the kit and allows victims as long as two years to decide.
"Sexual assault cases are difficult to prosecute for a variety of reasons," Warfield said. "These forensic exams are often the only piece of evidence that can prove the offender guilty.
"Nurses trained in gathering such evidence can bring credence to the victim's testimony. Juries sometimes are too critical of the victim." Among points Warfield, Barlow and Bailey brought up: b The majority of sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance.
b Thirty percent of assaults are reported to authorities or medical personnel.
b Sexual assault covers acts including harassing telephone calls or e-mails, stalking, inappropriate touching, indecent exposure or rape.
b Hospitals are required by statute to report sexual assaults to law-enforcement authorities.
b Adult assault victims decide whether to press charges. If the victim is a minor, parents or the court system make the decision.
b A forensic kit is prepared for an average of 24 sexual assaults a year.
Forensic nurses also write a history of the assault, may collect evidence from suspects when possible and provide expert testimony in court. Initial contact with the victim is a demanding task that can last two to six hours. But court appearances are particularly stressful.
"Court is intense," Barlow said. "Forensic nurses have a wide knowledge base, but they want to be sure their expert-witness testimony is accurate. They can be questioned by the prosecutor or defense attorneys." Requirements for SANE certification vary by state. In Colorado, SANE candidates must be registered nurses with at least three years experience in an emergency room, intensive-care unit, pediatrics, obstetrics or gynecology. Then, they must complete 48 classroom hours and 90 hours of clinical education under the direction of a SANE veteran, physician or nurse practitioner. The clinical experience includes courtroom observation and gynecological and pediatric examinations.
SANE programs exist in all 50 states, as well as in numerous other countries. Colorado has 11 SANE programs, the first established in Colorado Springs in 1995. The International Association of Forensic Nurses drew 700 participants at its Oct. 19-24 meeting in Atlanta, said Barlow, who attended.
Michael Rendon, director of Sexual Assault Services Organization and a Durango city councilor, said his agency was contacted on its hot line 382 times in 2008. Rendon said 125 callers were actually victims of a sexual assault.
"It's important for us to be here because sexual assault is a terrifying experience and a lot of victims don't know resources are available," Rendon said. "We support victims any way they need, including one-on-one counseling or going to court if they press charges. Everything is confidential, so nothing leaves the office." The agency maintains a 24-hour hot line, answered on a rotating basis by one of 15 volunteers or the five members of the agency staff, including himself, Rendon said. Volunteers take 35 hours of training before working into the rotation. Volunteers also present prevention programs for elementary- through college-age students.
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