A nurse at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport has received national certification to help treat survivors of sexual assault – and four other Samaritan Health nurses are in training to gain the certification.
Jennie Eley, who has worked in the hospital’s birthing center for nine years, recently completed training to be a sexual assault nurse examiner, Samaritan Health Services said in a news release this week.
“Helping to develop a successful program on the coast became a labor of love for me after discovering the absence of local post-assault care for survivors of sexual violence,” Eley said.
Previously, victims of sexual assault have been directed to Sarah’s Place, a regional assault examination center at Samaritan’s hospital in Albany.
“Survivors often are directed to Sarah’s Place for the most appropriate post-assault care, and it’s safe to assume that many people who are already hesitant and fearful may choose not to seek any care at all,” Ely said. “Our program at the coast is still a work in progress but I’m so proud to be a part of its development.”
At Sarah’s Place and at the local hospitals, sexual assault survivors are cared for by registered nurses who have completed the sexual assault nurse examiner process. The certification confirms the nurses’ expertise in providing care while helping to preserve vital criminal evidence, Samaritan said.
When a certified sexual assault nurse is not available on the coast, assault survivors are offered non-emergency transportation to and from Sarah’s Place, Samaritan said. The center is always open and emphasizes privacy and security, away from the hospital’s trauma center.
Samaritan said the Newport hospital has three registered nurses who have received the specialized training, and a fourth registered nurse with training is located at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City. Eley is the first of the four to complete requirements for certification.
To obtain the certification in Oregon, the medical professional must complete dozens of hours of instruction; perform physical exams; complete sexual assault forensic exams; participate in a law enforcement ride-along or case review; observe a court session, an advocacy session in the district attorney’s office; and visit the state crime lab.
“Receiving medical treatment after a sexual assault is an important part of healing,” said Sam Jones, vice president of patient care services at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital. “Survivors of sexual assault are traumatized and vulnerable, so it’s important to have trained nurse examiners who can provide care in a safe environment.”
Jones said victims should also know that they can always receive medical care at the hospital without necessarily having to report the crime.
“We want to emphasize that if someone has been sexually assaulted, they should come to our emergency room, ideally within 72 hours. They can receive care without reporting to law enforcement,” he said. “At some later point if they do want to report the crime, the evidence has already been safely collected and stored.”
Jones said the specially trained nurses help provide appropriate medical care to victims but also have been trained to collect, document and preserve evidence. Having the nurse in the exam room helps a victim to feel protected and understood and it also increases the likelihood of a successful prosecution, he said.
For more information about sexual assault recovery resources and Sarah’s Place, visit samhealth.org/SarahsPlace or call 541-812-4420.
As a former domestic violence and sexual assault victim advocate, I spent a good deal of time in the emergency room offering support for victims as they went through the examination and evidence collection. I can’t overstate how important the additional training the SANE nurses receive is to the victims experience. The care, comfort, support and knowledge the victims receive starts the healing process and helps a victim become a survivor.
Thank you for covering this story, and thank you to the SANE nurses.