LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Health care providers in Indiana say there is a shortage of nurses in the state who are specifically trained to care for sexual assault victims.
Indiana University Health is hoping a $1.4 million federal grant can help change that, FOX59 News reported Wednesday.
IU Methodist Hospital has the largest forensic nursing unit in the state, but not every county has sexual assault nurse examiners.
As of 2020, IU Health reports only 32 of Indiana's 92 counties had a forensic nurse at all. It also reports the number of patients at Methodist Hospital who needed this type of care jumped by 40% between 2019 and 2023, with many patients coming from other rural counties that don't have the resources.
"So they have to travel up to two hours to get a forensic exam," Natalie Calow, Forensic Program Coordinator at IU Health, told FOX59 News. "And after you've been through a traumatic experience, the last thing you want to do is drive a couple hours for a forensic exam."
IU Health plans to use the $1.4 million grant to train more than 3,000 sexual assault nurse examiners over the next three years, and help rural hospitals start their own programs.
The IU program is open to registered nurses with at least two years of experience in clinical practice. It kicks off in October.
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