As sexual assault rates rise, provinces face shortages of specially trained nurses
As rates of sexual assault climb across Canada, nursing experts say there is a shortage of specially trained forensic nurses to properly care for victims.
Timely care from a well-trained forensic nurse can help stave off a cascade of post-traumatic effects, including depression, anxiety and even suicide, said Sheila Early, president of the Canadian Forensic Nurses Association.
"I always thought that as an emergency nurse, what I did was I put Band-Aids on these individuals. But as a forensic nurse, I helped them make that first step to whatever recovery that will come," Early said in a recent interview.
Sexual assault nurse examiners are forensic nurses trained to collect evidence from sexual assault and domestic violence victims, and to help them cope with trauma. They can also be called to testify in court. Their expertise requires hours of dedicated training -- at least 60 hours in Nova Scotia, plus observation training in a gynecological practice, said Martha Paynter, an assistant nursing professor at the University of New Brunswick.
"Their evidence gathering is a very different type of nursing work," Paynter said in an interview. It's also "extremely traumatizing work," she said, "and it takes somebody who really wants to do it."
Despite the emotional toll and the extensive training they carry, sexual assault nurse examiner positions are often casual roles, requiring the nurse to juggle on-call hours on top of their full-time nursing jobs, said both Paynter and Early. In the midst of a health-care crisis and widespread nursing shortages, it's no wonder some provinces are struggling to find nurses who will take on the extra load, they said.
New Brunswick's Vitalite Health Network cancelled training planned for February because too few nurses signed up, officials confirmed in a recent email. In the health region covering Labrador and parts of northern Newfoundland, officials confirmed they too put off training the region's first sexual assault nurse examiners after too few nurses responded to a call for interest last year.
The Labrador-Grenfell health authority said it will issue another call for interest this week.
There are also forensic nurse shortages in Ontario and Saskatchewan, according to nurses unions in those provinces.
"Dedicated funding is required to ensure every sexual assault (and) domestic violence centre in Ontario can provide 24-7 access to (sexual assault nurse examiners) for survivors," said a statement from the Ontario Nurses' Association, adding that it was "deeply concerned" about the shortage.
Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reports that the rate of police-reported sexual assaults in Canada rose by 18 per cent in 2021 compared to the year before, with the highest increases in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. In 2020, the rate of sexual assault in Labrador was six times the national average.
Paynter said nurses need to be given more flexibility to take on other duties and training.
"A lot of nurses would love to do this work," she said. "So how do we make the whole sector more flexible so that people can fit in these other things? We know that nurses are happier, they're most fulfilled when their scope is broadest."
Early said sexual assault nurse examiner expertise should be recognized as a specialty designation by the Canadian Nurses Association. That way, she said, there would be more funding for training and positions. The association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Early helped found British Columbia's first forensic nursing program in the early 1990s. In the decades since, change has been slow, but it has come, Early said, noting that some provinces are making efforts to offer full-time instead of casual jobs.
In Manitoba, health officials recently hired full-time forensic nurses after sexual assault victims were turned away from a Winnipeg hospital. The victims were told to avoid showering and come back when a specially trained nurse was available, said Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union.
New Brunswick's Horizon Health network is also expanding its forensic nurse examiner program in part by hiring full-time staff, officials confirmed Thursday in an email. The move comes after CBC reported last fall that an alleged rape victim was turned away from a Fredericton hospital and told not to wash until she could return when a forensic nurse was on shift.
Early said she's like to see more provinces make the job permanent.
"Violence is a public health-care issue. So why don't we deal with it on that level?"
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
These symptoms could mean you damaged your eyes from watching the eclipse
If you watched Monday's solar eclipse, you may be wondering whether you damaged your eyes. CTVNews.ca spoke with eye-care experts to find out what to do if you have concerns about your eyesight after observing the rare celestial event.
Warning light on Boeing 737 prompts Air Canada flight to make emergency landing
An Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8 landed safely in Idaho after experiencing an in-flight emergency Tuesday when pilots received a warning light in the flight deck, airline and airport officials said.
'Extremely dangerous': Toddler, 2 other children left unsupervised in parking lot for 4 hours while moms went to Pickering casino: police
Two women have been charged after leaving three young children unsupervised in a parking lot for hours while they went to a casino in Pickering on Monday, say police.
Amanda Knox faces a new slander trial in Italy that could remove the last legal stain against her
Amanda Knox faces another trial for slander this week in Italy in a case that could remove the last legal stain against her, eight years after Italy's highest court threw out her conviction for the murder of her 21-year-old British roommate.
Food critic leaves $3,000 tip at Toronto restaurant
Celebrity food critic Keith Lee dropped a $3,000 tip at a Toronto restaurant over the weekend, but it’s the 'Keith Lee Effect' that leaves a lasting impact.
Rescued hiker reunited with missing dog thanks to Vancouver Island volunteer
An injured hiker who was airlifted by search and rescue teams near Port Alberni, B.C., over the weekend has been reunited with his dog, after a dedicated rescuer went back to find her.
Missouri man executed for killing his cousin and her husband in 2006
A Missouri man was executed Tuesday for killing his cousin and her husband nearly two decades ago in an attack that left the couple's four-year-old daughter home alone and unharmed.
Here's what to do with your solar eclipse glasses, instead of throwing them out
As countless sun-gazers settle in for the long wait until their next solar eclipse, many may be asking themselves the same question. Eclipse glasses are typically mass-produced from cardboard frames and polymer filters, so some may be tempted to toss them out, but a number of organizations are hoping you'll think twice before you do.
Quebec premier threatens 'referendum' on immigration if Trudeau fails to deliver
Quebec Premier François Legault on Tuesday ratcheted up pressure on the federal government to reduce the number of temporary immigrants in the province, threatening to hold a "referendum" on the issue.