More access to the province’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program along the South Shore.
In a news release, the province says the SANE program is now available at Roseway Hospital in Shelburne.
The Tri Country Women’s Centre is delivering the program, which provides registered nurses that possess advanced training and expertise for sexual assault victims.
Shana Vidito, is the Western Zone coordinator of the SANE program and says that while the program will be impacted by Roseway Hospital ER closures, there are other options.
“If that were the case, they still have the option to go to Yarmouth Regional Hospital,” she explained. “That’s kind of the case with rural hospitals. They often close if there’s no physician coverage, so we’re just trying to work with them the best we can and when they are open, then the SANE program will respond as needed.”
Vidito says victims who seek help are provided a safe space space with two dedicated nurses, who are also trained to collect evidence should the victim want to pursue charges.
“It certainly helps with that process in providing a safe space for the victim to access,” she noted. “Two nurses are always responding to those calls. It’s just uninterrupted time with the patient, that those two nurses are just committed to that patient.”
The SANE program is available for those ages 13 and up.
