Do Nurses Know How to Do Rape Exams?
There were nearly 4,500 sexual assault victims in Illinois
In 2016, there were nearly 4,500 patients seen in emergency rooms across Illinois for suspected, alleged, or confirmed rape or sexual abuse. These are just the reported cases, as not every victim of sexual assault goes to the hospital. Last year's statistics from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority data, recorded more than 10,000 people received services from state-funded rape crisis centers rather than emergency rooms.
Illinois lawmakers proposed legislation requiring hospitals to have specially trained medical providers in the hospital within 90 minutes of a sexual assault victim's arrival. It's a great idea, but the Illinois Health and Hospital Association said that this is not possible to meet in that time frame.
One certified nurse in Illinois, Jaclyn Rodriquez, was hired to teach her peers about examining rape victims. Rodriquez guesses that 150 nurses have finished the obligatory 40 hours of training in the care of sexual assault victims, plus all the additional clinical work. The nurses still need to pass the International Association of Forensic Nurses exam, but only 32 have completed this test.
