LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has been awarded $1.4 million over three years to increase the number of trained and certified sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in rural and underserved communities in Louisiana. The grant, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, will continue the work that began three years ago. Alison Davis, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, director of the Nursing Skills and Technology Center and Nurse Educator Concentration, is the project director.
In 2018, LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing saw a great need for nurses trained and certified in caring for patients who have experienced sexual assaults. With an original goal of training 140 nurses as SANEs, LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has trained 166 nurses to date. Thirty-two nurses have earned certification as a SANE-A (adult or adolescent) or a SANE-P (pediatric).
Working with University Medical Center, Children’s Hospital, St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, and The Haven, the SANE Program at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing will expand from the original 13 parishes to serve 22 million people in 17 southeast Louisiana parishes. These four academic practice partners have agreed to precept newly trained SANEs for the required 300 clinical hours for certification eligibility.
According to the 2019 Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement report, the total number of sexually oriented criminal offenses reported in these areas totaled 456, which accounts for 20% of the total number reported for the state (2,629). In 2019, rapes reported in New Orleans totaled 195 per 100, 000 residents, well over 2.2 times the national average and a 44% increase from 2016 (City Data, 2019). In Orleans and Jefferson parishes, there are large pockets of residents belonging to vulnerable or at-risk populations.
The grant will also support LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing becoming an International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) certified simulation center. With its new-era simulation technology, the nursing school can run simulated case scenarios of sexual assault patient care that include a trauma-informed approach to care to ensure that trainees’ practice skills are consistent with best practices.