SANE nurse

smilealot · Mar 8, 2012

So, I've got a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Sociology in addition to my ADN. Because of my CJ background, my DON asked me if I was interested in attending the Forensic Investigations conference in May in KC and getting SANE certified. I'm on the fence about it. Anyone want to share their experience with it? I'd like to do it for the education and interest of it, but I'm not sure if I'd want to do the actual practice of it. Hoping some experiences will help me decide.
Thanks in advance!

I have only been working as a SANE for about two years and that is as an on-call position in addition to my full time job. I have enjoyed it and I find the training and education for it very interesting and love learning about it but it can be a difficult job to do if you are not really interested in it especially when working with the patients that come in as sexual assault victims.

I feel that in some ways I started out in a similar position as you. I was approached by a couple of other nurse managers in my hospital and asked if I would do it. At the time we only had one other nurse in our hospital fulfilling that position. So I went to the training without knowing if it was what I really wanted to do or not. Ultimately I decided that it was and have continued to work in that role and I for a lack of better words enjoy it.

shoegalRN, RN · Mar 8, 2012

I am currently a SANE and plan on getting my SANE-A certification in May. I will be attending the conference in KC as well.

I have a BSN and do not have any background in criminal justice. However, I love Forensics and I am leaning towards getting my Masters Degree in Forensic Science. I completed the required 40 hour SANE training and then took additional training from my director before being on my own and taking call.

Anyway, I am required to take call 48 hours out of the month. So far, I have completed 18 cases, where I will have to testify in one of them.

If I were you, I would attend the conference and see if SANE is something that interest you. It is very detailed, and sometimes it can be very emotional draining.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 9, 2012

Our hospital has a strong SAFE (sexual assault forensic examiner) program. I went through the didactic training in the fall, and I completed my clinical time in January. I take call several days a month as we are a little short on trained SAFEs right now. ShoegalRN is right -- it can be very draining. But I had been considering finding a SANE training program in Virginia before I joined the Army, and was happy to find out that my first duty station had a program and that my bosses wanted to get me trained. I have long been interested in forensic nursing, so here I am. I don't have any background in forensics at all.

As an Army nurse, I don't get paid any extra for ... well, any of my time. So if I go in for a case, it's on the house. I was supposed to attend our monthly SAFE educational day yesterday, but had been in the ER for about 7 hours on a case the night before.

brainkandy87, I would encourage you to do it if you are even remotely interested. If nothing else, it's more education!

brainkandy87 · Mar 11, 2012

Well, I went ahead and turned in the paperwork today. Like you said Lunah, if nothing else, it's education.

....plus I really, really love the Power and Light District in KC

brainkandy87 · Mar 13, 2012

So, my boss emails me all the details to the ones that signed up... and she signed me up for the non-medical class. Facepalm.

Cr8zyamy · Mar 22, 2012

How do you become a SANE nurse? I am six weeks from completing my ADN to BSN program and was wondering where to look for information about this. I live in a major metropolitan area and to my knowledge all sexual assault cases are taken to 1 hospital in an area that has at least 10 hospitals. I think if I received the training and certification I could offer to be on call to the hospital I work at. Do I need to get my MSN in say Forensic Nurse examiner?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 22, 2012

I would call that one hospital and ask to speak to their forensic program director. You don't need an MSN to be a SANE nurse -- it's usually a didactic/clinical training course.

Cr8zyamy · Mar 22, 2012

Thanks, I'll give their E.D. a call.

Thanks for your service. HOOAH!

brainkandy87 · Mar 22, 2012

Well, the more I've read up on it, the more I think I'll like it. Thanks for the input everyone. If anyone is going to KC, hit me up! I'd love to meet some fellow AN.com members.

(oh yeah.. I get to see Aziz Ansari in KC while I'm there.. I can't complain about that either )