October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and a local nurse is sounding the alarm about a critical shortage of support for survivors.
Jeana Friday is a forensic nurse, a specialty that requires a minimum of a Registered Nursing license.
These nurses provide compassionate medical treatment to survivors of domestic or sexual assault, while also collecting evidence that can be used in criminal proceedings.
"We can do sexual assault exams. We can do forensic photography. We can do strangulation exams," Friday said.
According to its voluntary database, the International Association of Forensic Nurses found only about 25% of hospitals in the U.S. have a sexual assault nurse examiner, or "SANE," on staff or available.
"There’s actually a growing number of us, but there still isn’t enough," Friday said. Friday rotates between six Chicago-area hospitals for her position.
Hospitals in Illinois are required by law to have a SANE on staff, or an approved transfer plan at no cost to the patient.
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Illinois has one of the most stringent and comprehensive Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Acts (SASETA) in the nation, according to a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
The Illinois law provides for SASETA treatment hospitals to have a trained medical forensic examiner, as well as other medical staff specifically trained to best care for victims of sexual assault, on duty 24/7. It also provides for trained trauma-informed sexual assault treatment providers who can address both the medical and emotional needs of a victim in a manner focused on preventing further distress for the victim.
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All Illinois hospitals have submitted SASETA plans and the SASETA database indicates the approval date of each plan, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
However, Friday said many patients still don't know where to go for help.
"Victim blaming is huge, and it actually causes people not to disclose, or just fear of people not believing them," she said. "They need us to know what to do. They need us to be there for them, they need us to start by believing."
Speaking to a group of students at Chamberlain University in Roscoe Village, Friday hopes to encourage the next generation of forensic nurses.
"Not a lot of people know about forensic nursing because it’s so under staffed," nursing student Sam Morales said.
Morales, who was inspired to become a nurse by the language barrier her grandparents experienced in hospitals when she was a child, said even if her classmates aren't interested in forensic nursing, just talking about the specialized field can encourage others to get involved.
"They can bring it up to their friends, who can bring it up to other friends. It keeps going by word of mouth. There’s always going to be a need for nurses," Morales said.
