Forensic Nurse Examiner / Sexual Assault Nurse examiner
About FNE & Sane
The Statewide FNE Coordinator Goals:
1. Support the development of strong and effective local and regional collaborations and to create opportunities to stay connected and growing
2. Focus on eliminating isolation among SANE and FNE programs
3. Coordinate, support and enhance existing and developing SANE programs
4. Provide technical assistance to existing and new SANE/FNE programs in the state
5. Create consistency among state programs
6. Provide cross trainings and educational opportunities for members of SART teams
7. Coordinate community education events
8. Coordinate and strengthen the network of agencies involved in SANE/SART operations.
Why is it important:
Evidence suggests that having a forensic nursing program in your community will improve all aspects of care for victims.
Law enforcement and prosecution benefits
1. Improving the quality of forensic evidence collection and documentation
2. Increasing plea bargaining, prosecution, and conviction rates of sexual assault cases
3. Providing the prosecution with specially trained medical expert witnesses when cases go to court
Medical team benefits
1. Provides immediate crisis intervention and emotional support to patients, ensuring safety and preventing retraumatization
2. Physicians are available to see other patients while the FNE provides the medical forensic evidence examination
3. Reduces excessive and lengthy emergency room wait times
4. Offers the most current treatment options for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
5. Decreases the heavy workload on emergency room nurses that limits them from providing attentive nursing care to all those patients on their assignment
6. Assures victims are aware of community resources
7. The number of hours physicians and emergency room nurses will have to spend in court will decrease
FNE/SANE Training
How to Become a SANE/FNE
For adolescents and adults:
The registered nurse must take a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Course comprised of two components; a 40 hour didactic course followed by a clinical component.
For pediatrics:
The registered nurse must take a Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Course comprised of 2 components; a 40-hour didactic course followed by a clinical component.
The registered nurse must take and pass an examination to become SANE-A certified (Adults and Adolescents), and SANE-P (pediatrics and adolescents) certified.