Promoting Professional Quality of Life and Resiliency in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.

BACKGROUND: Sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) have received specialized education and clinical training in providing forensic care for sexual assault and abuse victims. SANEs provide compassionate and competent care that promotes emotional recovery for their patients; however, caring for this population puts SANEs at risk for secondary traumatic stress, professional burnout, and compassion fatigue. The research regarding SANEs indicates that there may be multiple personal and organizational factors that affect their development of negative outcomes related to professional quality of life. PURPOSE: This study explored challenges SANEs experience in their work and what resources are utilized to promote their resiliency and professional quality of life. METHODS: SANEs were recruited to complete an anonymous online survey through the International Association of Forensic Nurses community; 69 SANEs completed the survey. Eight of the SANEs also participated in follow-up focus groups. RESULTS: The participants reported many gratifying aspects of their work. They also described challenges related to personal, professional, organizational, and community factors. Many of the reported negative effects align with secondary traumatic stress and professional burnout. The SANEs identified multiple ways to support their resiliency in the context of this difficult work. IMPLICATIONS: The nature of this work puts SANEs at risk for developing adverse symptoms related to professional quality of life. SANEs need better support and resources to cope with the demands of their work. Findings of this study will be used to design SANE Well, a support application to promote SANE wellness and resiliency.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Training: A Review of Literature and Implication for Nursing Education and Service to Rural Communities.

ABSTRACT: Sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) play a critical role in providing quality care to patients who have experienced sexual violence. Recent national legislative initiatives have been launched both to better explore state-specific needs in regard to training SANE nurses as well as pilot programs that will establish evidence-based methods of expanding SANE training to remote, rural, and underserved communities.A scoping literature review was conducted to identify best practices in SANE training as well as implications for delivering this education to rural and underserved communities. This review analyzed the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing research, provided an overview of findings within the literature, and identified areas where further research could be directed to inform local, state, and national strategy on SANE education.Blended learning programs that pair online education with simulated clinical experiences are promising alternatives to the traditional classroom experience; however, more research is needed to know how to enhance retention and engagement of nurses utilizing these methods to obtain preliminary SANE training.

Health Sciences Interprofessional Collaborative: A Perspective on Migration, COVID-19, and the Impact on Indigenous Communities.

At the United States-Mexico border, the impacts of immigration policy are dynamic with political, humanitarian, and health outcomes. This article highlights the experiences at the Casa Alitas migrant shelter in Tucson, Arizona. Casa Alitas aims to meet the needs of the im/migrants it serves, including the unique needs of indigenous asylum-seekers from Central America. We highlight the importance of community-based humanitarian response to support asylum-seekers in a way that acknowledges our shared humanity and implements specific approaches (e.g., language justice and trauma informed care). The effort at Casa Alitas is unique because in addition to other partnerships, Casa Alitas established an interprofessional collaboration between the University of Arizona Health Sciences Colleges and the Arizona State University School of Social Work. The interprofessional collaboration encourages mutual education amongst our professions and the use of our extended networks to meet the needs of im/migrants and asylum seekers in our community and the United States. We recommend the development of best practices in asylum health care, the importance of creating border-wide networks to build on local resources, and highlight the importance of exposing future health practitioners to trauma informed and culturally and linguistically appropriate care.

Improving Equitable Access to Cervical Cancer Screening and Management.

BACKGROUND: Each year, 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 die from it. Moreover, 8 million women 21 to 65 years of age haven't had a Pap test in five years. Hispanic women have the highest incidence of cervical cancer and are less likely to be screened or return for care. Migrant women can face additional barriers to cervical cancer screening, including federal prohibitions against their participation in public health insurance exchanges and nonemergency Medicaid. PURPOSE: Improving cervical cancer screening rates was identified as a priority in a federally qualified health center when only 40% of eligible women were properly screened in 2016. Forty-five percent of the population the clinic serves is uninsured and 60% are Hispanic. The aim of this quality improvement project was to have 75% of the women 21 to 65 years of age who sought care at this clinic during the 60-day project period receive Pap test eligibility screening, enrollment in a state and federal screening program, and case management. METHODS: Four rapid plan-do-study-act cycles were used. Tests of change included team engagement, patient engagement, eligibility screening, and case log management. Data were analyzed using run charts to evaluate the impact of interventions on outcomes. The interventions consisted of team meetings, a patient engagement tool, an eligibility screening tool, and case log management. RESULTS: Among the women who completed care at the clinic during the 60-day project period, 80% were uninsured and 86% were Hispanic. A total of 87% of women received effective care, which consisted of same-day Well Woman Health Care Program enrollment and a same-day Pap test or an appointment to return for a well-woman visit. CONCLUSION: A multicomponent approach led to underserved women receiving equitable access to cervical cancer screening and timely enrollment in a cervical cancer screening program.