“I still feel so lost”: experiences of women receiving SANE care during the year after sexual assault

Abstract

Objective Emergency caregivers provide initial care to women sexual assault (SA) survivors. An improved understanding of the issues facing this population can aide emergency care practitioners in providing high quality care. The goal of this study was to share the experiences of women SA survivors with the emergency care practitioners that care for them. Methods English‐speaking adult women (n = 706) who received SA Nurse Examiner (SANE) evaluation within 72 hours of SA at 1 of 13 geographically distributed sites were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal multi‐site observational study. We qualitatively analyzed responses to the open‐ended question: “What do you think is most important for researchers to understand about your experience since the assault?” asked 1 week, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after enrollment. Results Themes from responses (n = 1434) from 590 women (84% of study sample) fell into 12 broad categories: daily life, justice, medical, and social services, mental health, physical health, prior trauma, recovery, romantic relationships, safety, self, shame, and social interactions. Responses demonstrated that the assault permeates many aspects of assault survivors’ daily lives. Conclusions Qualitative analyses of open‐ended responses from a large cohort of women SA survivors receiving SANE care highlight the challenges for survivors and can increase understanding among the emergency care practitioners who care for them. The authors propose a brief acronym to help emergency care practitioners recall important messages for SA survivors.

A qualitative exploration of the psychological needs of women survivors of rape in Iran

“…Another important and primary need of women survivors of rape in the present study was recounting the incident and expressing their feelings. Buchbinder et al showed that many women survivors of rape needed to be heard and express their feelings to others [ 36 ]. The reactions received by the survivors after the assault disclosure are significant.…”

Voices of Female Sexual Assault Survivors: Striving for Survivor-Centered Reporting Processes in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

“…Thus, response personnel groups, especially patrol officers and SAFE nurses who are more likely to serve survivors right after their SA, must focus on restoring a sense of safety with compassion and patience. In fact, a recent study of SA survivors who received a SA Nurse Examiner evaluation within 72 h of their SA stressed the need for assessment and restoration of sense of safety (Buchbinder, et al, 2021). Breaches in safety and mistreatment (e.g., yelling at, interrogating, or threatening the survivor) by police and medical personnel can lead to revictimization (Maier, 2008), which, in turn, increases anxiety, trauma-specific symptoms, dissociation, and problematic sexual functioning later in life (Smith & Freyd, 2013).…”

Educational Needs of U.S. Emergency Nurses Related to Forensic Nursing Processes

“…Nurses have a professional responsibility to integrate this knowledge into practice, thereby avoiding retraumatizing the patient by their own words or actions. The work of Buchbinder et al (2021) highlights the need for trauma-informed care, specifically of patients who have experienced sexual assault, which challenges their sense of privacy, safety, and bodily autonomy.…”