SANE Examination: What We Do and Why a Medical Examination is Important for Your Patient Who has been Trafficked


Allyson Cordoni, APRN, CNP, SANE-A, SANE-P | September 24 | 10:00-11:00 AM

Topic: Healthcare | Knowledge Level: Beginner

Trafficking individuals are often invisible in the health care setting. In general, health care providers often lack training for identifying and subsequently treating the person who has been trafficked. Sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) are registered nurses who are specifically trained to provide a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach to these patients to provide a thorough and complete medical screening, assessment, examination interventions, and referrals to help identify acute and chronic illnesses and/or injuries, while empowering the patient in the decision process related to referrals and safety/psychological care. Most patients who have been trafficked do not self-report injuries/illnesses. This presentation, through case studies and national guidelines, will discuss how the SANE identifies and cares for the medical and psychological needs of the trafficked person who enters a health care facility. SANE’s are ideally trained to intervene and advocate for the trafficked patient and to subsequently provide a broad spectrum of follow up health (physical and mental) services, which will enable multi-disciplinary team (MDT) members to better serve this vulnerable population.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss what a SANE can do for a trafficked patient

·  Describe lessons learned by healthcare providers through case studies

·  Explain how the SANE collaborates with other members of the MDT to optimize the best outcomes for this vulnerable population

About the Presenter