How SAFE Helped One Woman
Care and support for sexual assault victims
Talking safety
To further educate our community about sexual assault, (l-r) Julie Albertson, R.N., Shirley Wagner, R.N., Barb Davis, R.N., Barb Fadale, R.N., and Melissa Teitsworth, R.N., hand out SAFE cards in the community and reach out to college and high school students about risks like date rape drugs.
At the Allentown Fair, Barb Davis, R.N., hands out hundreds of cards to teach people what to do if they are sexually assaulted. One woman who received a card came into the emergency department (ED) that very evening after being abused.
Davis, a sexual assault nurse examiner (SAFE) in the LVH–17th and Chew ED, counseled her, offered support, connected her with social service agencies and used her training in forensics to collect evidence. The result: the perpetrator was caught and convicted, and the woman began to heal.
Davis and 17 other SAFE team members (nurses and a physician assistant) provide this care for assault victims regularly. They also work with Child Advocacy Center personnel to gather evidence and provide safety for abused children who come to the ED. Last year, the SAFE team cared for 116 assault victims, including more than 40 children and teens.
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
