The effectiveness of a sexual assault nurse examiner-grounding program (SANE-GP) on knowledge, skill and practice regarding sexual assault examination (SAE) among nurses working in a tertiary care hospital in Udupi district, India: A study protocol

The medico-legal care of victims of sexual assault is very challenging, and requires specific knowledge and skills. Professionals in the emergency departments of hospitals might not have specialised training in forensic science. Nurses have a very significant role in these settings, but they lack any formal forensic training. This study aims to develop a sexual assault nurse examiner-grounding program (SANE-GP) for Indian nurses to inculcate knowledge and skill regarding sexual assault examination. The study adopts a three-stage Delphi technique to develop the training module and uses a time-series design to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. A questionnaire on nurses' knowledge on sexual assault examination (KQSANE-I) will be developed in phase-I and subsequently used in phase-II. The protocol of SANE-GP will help the medical community to implement the program across India. The implementation of SANE-GP can also help to start a sexual assault nurse examiner network.