UNE initiative to educate and train Registered Nurses to treat victims of sexual assault featured on ‘Maine Public’

Emily Hilton and Polly Campbell display the sexual assault kit nurse examiners use
Emily Hilton and Polly Campbell display the sexual assault kit nurse examiners use

A University of New England initiative to provide education and training for nurses in the care and treatment of survivors of sexual assault was recently featured on “All Things Considered” on Maine Public.

UNE’s School of Nursing and Population Health has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to increase the number of nurses in Maine who are educated and trained to respond to sexual assault cases in hospital emergency departments and other health care facilities.  

Through the grant, UNE, in collaboration with Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services SAFE Program, will refine and develop contemporary models to educate nurses in medical forensic care to enhance the number of examiners and extend the geographical reach of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE).

The Advanced Nursing Education SANE program will provide additional courses delivered in collaboration with the state’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program.

Polly Campbell, R.N., B.S., B.A., clinical director of the UNE program told Maine Public that without that education and training, nurses are far less equipped to care for assault victims.

"It would be like asking someone who's worked for 10 years in labor and delivery to suddenly go and function well on an orthopedic unit. We are specialists," she said. “Forensic nurses are able to provide unique, comprehensive medical and forensic care for all ages, and meet the physical, emotional psychological and spiritual needs of survivors”

Campbell believes the current number of 125 forensic nurses in Maine is not enough.

"No one hospital, not even our largest hospitals, can provide 24/7 coverage," she stated.

The grant will help increase support for practicing examiners through experiential education and training, develop support mechanisms to address the emotional and physical demands of the SANE role and offer education about the forensic nursing specialty to nursing students at UNE and schools of nursing across Maine.

The funding allowed UNE to hire two Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners who will focus on these objectives throughout the state.

Emily Hilton, R.N., B.S.N., regional coordinator of the UNE SANE program, is one of the examiners. She says treating a victim of sexual assault can be daunting for a nurse without the proper education and training. She recalled for Maine Public the first time she encountered that situation.

"I was very overwhelmed,” said Hilton. “I followed the instructions, but I left feeling like I really failed that patient."

The goal is to increase the number of annual courses for nurses in Maine by at least 50 percent over the three-year life of the grant so that there is 24/7 coverage in hospital emergency departments across the state.  

The University of New England is the only institution in New England to receive this award.

Polly Campbell being interviewed by Maine Public's Patty Wight
Polly Campbell being interviewed by Maine Public's Patty Wight

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.