Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program: Long-term Impact on Confidence and Attitudes on SANE Trainees

Nurse Education in Practice (08/23) Torregosa, Marivic B.; Orlando, Patricio M.; Benavides, Maria Del Rosario

A descriptive longitudinal study sought to characterize the long-term impact of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program on the confidence and attitudes of trainees. The researchers recruited 66 registered nurses with more than two years of work experience, with the final sample including 27 participants who completed the questionnaire at baseline, six months following SANE certification and 12 months post-certification. Ninety-one percent of the sample were female, with 88% self-identifying as Hispanic. Fifty-eight percent of the sample's highest educational attainment was a bachelor's degree in nursing and 23% held an associate degree. Thirty-nine percent of the sample had two to five years of nursing work experience while 20% had six to nine years and 18% had 17 or more years. The authors observed participants were more confident regarding the SANE role at six months after certification, but this confidence waned after one year while positive attitudes toward the SANE role also declined over time. "It appears that a supportive infrastructure is needed to sustain SANE's confidence and positive attitudes toward the role," the researchers note.

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