LEARNING OUTCOME AND OBJECTIVES:  Upon completion of this continuing education course, you will demonstrate an understanding of the forensic sexual assault evidence collection process, including obtaining a history and collecting, preserving, and documenting forensic evidence according to Texas legal standards. Specific learning objectives to address potential knowledge gaps include:

• Identify key points of the Texas Evidence Collection Protocol for sexual assault.
• List the types of sexual assault forensic exams.
• Discuss elements of patient-centered care.
• Describe the sexual assault evidence kit (SAEK).
• Outline the steps involved in collecting forensic evidence.
• Explain how best to document and photograph evidence.
• Summarize the means used to preserve the integrity and security of evidence of a sexual assault.

INTRODUCTION

Survivors of sexual assault in Texas have the legal right to a forensic exam if they report the assault within 120 hours. These individuals, therefore, require professional caregivers who are trained to collect evidence in an effective and compassionate manner.

Since there is a national shortage of certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), Texas’s Senate Bill 1191 requires that all nurses who work in the emergency department receive basic education in how to collect forensic evidence of a sexual assault. This basic training for emergency nurses is not the same as the training required for certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.

The ability to collect evidence in every emergency department offers patients the option to be treated locally as opposed to driving a long distance to a center that is staffed by a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The ability for a survivor to be treated locally in the emergency department can also eliminate the need for law enforcement to transport the individual to another location, thereby allowing police officers to remain on duty in their own community (Advocate Editorial Board, 2018).