VUSN Awarded $1.5 million to continue work on SANE program

The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to grow its effective sexual assault nurse examiner education program. The new grant will expand recruitment, education and retention strategies for SANEs and increase, diversify and sustain the national SANE workforce.

The new program, ENPs-CARE: A Program to Sustain Emergency Nurse Practitioner Comprehensive Sexual Assault Response, builds on prior successes in educating and supporting SANEs. The new grant will be used for a multi-faceted program that will not only recruit and train nurse practitioners but also provide additional support and education to help retain and encourage those who go through the program.

"This grant is exciting, because it expands our reach to rural and underserved areas," said Professor Jennifer Wilbeck, DNP, APRN, FAANP, FAAN who is serving as the Program Director for the grant. "We'll now be able to offer training to emergency nurse practitioners; we are really looking to grow the number of SANEs in the country with this new grant and the expertise we have within the school."

Vanderbilt will recruit practicing ENPs for SANE training, thus increasing impact among those who serve in safety net settings in underserved areas. Components of the program include offering continuing education credits in a virtual format, as well as redesigned clinical competency experiences with enhanced simulations and telehealth inclusion. These participant-friendly methods will mitigate the challenges SANE trainees and certified SANE experience due to their location and lack of resources.

Other aspects of the new program include the expanded strategy to engage with interprofessional partners, professional organizations and preceptors, many of whom are in rural or medically underserved areas, both as a means of increasing awareness and recruiting new trainees.

Where VUSN's initial SANE program concentrated on educating Vanderbilt nurse practitioner students, the school will now be able to offer education to others. There is a demand for training, Wilbeck said, noting that VUSN's SANE program frequently receives requests from people outside Vanderbilt looking to participate in the program.

To support the well-being and retention of SANEs, Vanderbilt will also refine the existing community of practice, enhancing opportunities to promote engagement, networking, and nurse wellbeing. Wilbeck and her team also plan to promote the SANE role and national certifications among the nation's 26,000 ENPs estimated to be working in emergency care settings.

VUSN initially developed the SANE program in 2018 with the help of a $1.43 million HRSA grant. The initial goal was expanding the number of SANE-trained and certified advanced practice registered nurses . In 2022, the school received a $1.5 million grant continuation that allowed it to incorporate more virtual and simulation learning, which assisted trainees in achieving clinical competencies and begin practicing as SANEs in their communities.

ENPs-CARE: A Program to Sustain Emergency Nurse Practitioner Comprehensive Sexual Assault Response is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

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