Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

SANE Frequently Asked Questions

If you cannot find the information you need at one of the links below, access the OSBN scope-of-practice decision guide, the OSBN interpretive practice statements, or the Nurse Practice Act.  To submit a written practice question, please email us at osbn.practicequestion@osbn.oregon.gov.  However, if your question is answered in the FAQs or in a practice statement, you will be directed back to the website.

A: No. Oregon's Nurse Practice Act does not preclude the performance of a Sexual Assault Examination from the scope of practice of the Registered Nurse (RN). As such, it is the opinion of the Board that a Sexual Assault Examination is within the RN scope when the nurse has:
  • Completed the required education and training, and
  • Established and maintains documented competency to support the specialized exam and evidence collection.

A: Institutional, organizational, or facility policies and procedures must be formulated to adhere to prevailing rules and regulations of the state of Oregon, e.g., Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 147.403. Policies, guidelines, and training requirements for providers of medical care to sexual assault victims and prevailing Federal regulations for hospitals in the Veterans Administration System. Institutional, organizational, or facility policies may not supersede state and federal requirements. Any policy that describes the education, training, and competency validation for an RN performing a sexual assault examination contrary to the Oregon SAE/SANE Certification Commission violates the requirements of the Oregon State Attorney General.​

A: Nurse Supervisors must ensure that any RN assigned to perform an SAE has documented education, competency validation, and access to required resources. Assigning an SAE to a nurse without established competency or adequate resources may constitute unsafe practice under Oregon nursing standards​.

A: The Oregon SAE/SANE Certification Commission has established standards for the training and education requirements of all Oregon RNs who wish to perform the sexual assault exam.  The commission has also established SANE certification requirements to ensure that RNs have the necessary training and qualifications to provide medical forensic care that meets the highest standards using a victim-centered approach.

Whether certified or not, an RN must demonstrate competency congruent with Commission standards to perform the exam safely. The Oregon SAE/SANE Certification Commission is the determiner of whether the person requesting to perform the sexual assault exam has met the standards.​


A: Pursuant to statute, the Oregon SAE/SANE Certification Commission is responsible for the state certification of RNs who perform Sexual assault exams. The Commission also maintains a record of RNs who hold current OR-SANE certification. While it is not required in Oregon to be a Certified SANE to perform a Sexual assault exam, RNs without certification must provide proof of current SANE competency that is congruent with the Commission's standards.​

A: Yes. If an RN performs any part of the medical-forensic examination, including evidence collection, photography, anogenital assessment, or forensic documentation, the same education and competency requirements apply.​

A: Pursuant to OAR 851-006, the term “appropriate resources " means the human and material support necessary to perform the activity, intervention, or role safely, including any necessary emergency management.​

A: The individual RN remains accountable for their nursing actions and for the outcome of nursing services provided. The RN who proceeds to perform a sexual assault exam understands the requirements of the assignment. Education, training, and competency validation can provide the RN with the knowledge of how to manage consequences, whereby appropriate, effective, and timely application of consequence management becomes an RN self-regulatory issue​.

A: No. Sexual assault examinations require a comprehensive assessment and interpretation of findings, which exceed the focused assessment parameters permitted under LPN licensure.​

A: The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) has published an authoritative body of literature and knowledge specific to SANE and related topics. The American Nurses Association (ANA), in conjunction with the IAFN, has published Forensic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. The peer-reviewed publication of the IANF, Journal of Forensic Nursing, contains empirical studies, reviews, and theoretical articles, methodological and concept papers, and case reports that address the provision of care to victims and perpetrators of violence, trauma, and abuse. The US Department of Justice has also established National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners, and professional certification exists for both the Adult and Pediatric SANE.

As such, it is the opinion of the Board that the performance of a sexual assault exam by an RN who has completed education and training to complete a sexual assault exam is consistent with professional nursing standards, evidence-based nursing, and health care literature.

A: No. Adult/adolescent SANE training does not prepare a nurse to independently perform pediatric SAEs. Pediatric cases require specialized pediatric-specific education and documented competency validation.

An RN may perform pediatric SAEs only after completing appropriate pediatric training and establishing/maintaining competency. In most settings, consultation or formal partnership with pediatric medical-forensic experts or Children's Advocacy Centers is required to ensure safe, developmentally appropriate care.​


A: An SAE is within an RN's individual scope of practice only when all scope-of-practice criteria are met, including appropriate education and training, documented competency validation, supportive institutional policies, and access to required resources.

If any criterion cannot be met, including gaps in education, inadequate competency validation, lack of supportive policies, or insufficient resources, the RN must not proceed with the examination. The RN is expected to decline the assignment and escalate to appropriate leadership to identify an alternative plan that protects patient safety and meets legal and professional standards.

A: The following resources provide regulatory guidance, education, competency tools, and direct support for nurses and employers involved in sexual assault medical-forensic care:

  • Regulatory Guidance & Standards
    Oregon SAE/SANE Certification Commission (SCC)
    Certification standards, competency requirements, and scope guidance. Link: https://oregonsatf.org/sane-certification-commission
  • SCC Liaison (standards, certification, competency questions)
    Email: sane@oregonsatf.org
  • Education, Training & Competency
    SATF SANE Training & Education
    Didactic, clinical skills, pediatric content, and CE opportunities. Link: https://oregonsatf.org/sati-trainings
  • Technical Assistance & Case Support
    SANE Technical Assistance (TA) – SATF
    Case consultation, documentation support, and program development. Email: sane@oregonsatf.org
  • OSBN Consultation & Practice Concerns
    OSBN Practice Consultation
    Scope of practice, assignment safety, and nursing standards questions. Email: oregon.bn.info@osbn.oregon.gov
  • OSBN Practice Concerns / Complaint Reporting
    Reporting unsafe assignments, policy issues, or practice violations. Link: https://www.oregon.gov/osbn/Pages/complaint.aspx
  • Statewide Support & Collaboration
    Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force (SATF)
    Resources for SANE programs, SARTs, policies, and multidisciplinary coordination. https://oregonsatf.org​





Resources 

Check the links below for regulatory guidance, education, competency tools, and direct support for nurses and employers involved in sexual assault medical-forensic care: