Funded by an $803,000 federal grant, Georgia College’s School of Nursing is working to narrow the gap between the number of sexual assaults and domestic violence victims and too few nurses trained in the specialized care of victims.
 
Georgia College was the only organization in the state to receive funding, out of 20 grants awarded nationwide by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
 
The grant funds the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) campus-based training program. It was implemented at Georgia College in fall 2018 to prepare registered nurses in victim care.
 
“Women’s health is my clinical specialty, and I have always had an interest in forensics nursing. This training grant was a perfect opportunity to blend those roles with my role as a nurse educator at Georgia College,” said Dr. Josie Doss, associate professor of nursing and writer of the grant.

On any given day, an estimated 20,000 phone calls come into domestic violence hotlines across the country, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. On top of that, 45 percent of female rape victims and 29 percent of male victims were raped by an intimate partner.

Resources to serve domestic or sexual abuse victims can be scarce, especially in rural areas. Of the more than 80,000 registered nurses in the state, few are trained in the specialized care of domestic violence and sexual assault victims.
 
The grant funding covers the cost of classroom and clinical training, professional organization membership, certification and continued education for nurses. Its training follows educational guidelines of the International Association of Forensic Nursing (IAFN). Nurses participate in online training and clinical skills training related to medical-forensic history, medical-forensic exam, evidence collection, documentation and professional court testimony.
 
Grant partners include Navicent Baldwin and the Georgia Department of Public Health. Both serve as clinical practice sites and pools for recruitment of qualified nurses who want to become SANE-certified.
 
Georgia College identifies trainees through multiple state and national organizations. Currently, 16 nurses have completed didactic and clinical skills SANE training. Another 21 are currently enrolled. After the completion of clinical practice hours, students have the option to become certified by taking an exam, demonstrating advanced competency in the field.
 
Additional practice partnerships are being pursued with local free-standing sexual assault centers. These include Bright House, a division of Southern Crescent Sexual Assault and Child Abuse that recently opened in Milledgeville, and Crisis Line Safe House in Macon/Warner Robins.
 
In most cases, nurses are a victim’s very first contact with health care after an incident happens. Careful training is necessary, because the impact of sexual violence goes far beyond that of any physical injuries. Emotional and psychological effects can last a lifetime.
 
“The long-term impacts of domestic violence and sexual assault can be severe,” Doss said. “Research indicates having well-trained medical professionals with an understanding of the neurobiology of trauma can reduce the long and short-term consequences.”