At this time, there is not a healthcare provider in northeast Missouri that has a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Nurse employed on their staff. This petition is submitted on behalf of the citizens of northeast Missouri in support of having a local healthcare provider employ a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. 

What is a SANE Nurse?

As described by the Office for Victims of Crime, “A SANE nurse is a registered nurse who has completed additional education and training to provide comprehensive health care to an individual that has experienced sexual assault”.

What kind of care does a SANE nurse provide?

Some services a SANE nurse can provide include forensic evidence collection, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases/infections, follow-up services, advocacy, and pregnancy prevention. 

A SANE nurse is a valuable and necessary resource because of the “culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, and patient-specific evaluation and treatment” that they provide. 

Why must we act now?

Currently, the closest Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner is at University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. This means that an individual needing the support and services of a SANE has to travel a minimum of 90 minutes to be seen. 

For more information regarding SANE Nurse implementation, responsibilities, and impact go to:

https://www.ovcttac.gov/saneguide/introduction/what-is-a-sane/#:~:text=A%20Sexual%20Assault%20Nurse%20Examiner,to%20survivors%20of%20sexual%20assault

National Sexual Assult Hotline:

https://www.rainn.org/resources