The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a Fayetteville State University School of Nursing distinguished faculty member a $1.5 million grant to continue and expand the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training.

“We are incredibly grateful for this generous grant and the immense effort of Dr. Sherry Leviner bringing this opportunity to FSU,” said Dean Lloyd College of Health, Science and Technology, Afua Arhin, Ph.D., in a press release. “While I wish we did not need it, I am excited to see the growth of FSU’s SANE training and the impact it will have across the state.”

The grant, secured through the diligent efforts of Sherry Leviner, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing and the newly appointed Tony Rand Distinguished Professorship of Nursing at FSU, will enable the expansion of the SANE program, enhancing the university’s ability to equip nursing students with the specialized skills necessary to support and care for sexual assault survivors.

“Sexual violence is tragically common, and the impact on survivors can be profound,” said Leviner in a press release. “This underscores the critical need for well-trained and compassionate healthcare providers who can offer support and care to survivors of sexual violence.”

This will not only enhance the skills and support available to SANEs but also improve the overall response to sexual assault within healthcare systems, leading to better outcomes for survivors and strengthening the healthcare community’s ability to address sexual violence effectively.

Leviner underscored the pivotal role of the SANE Fellowship and instructor network in the grant's initiatives. This infrastructure will enable participants to meet the North Carolina Board of Nursing's requirements sooner, allowing them to promptly accumulate the necessary hours for certification.

Achieving SANE nurse certification involves completing specialized training, accumulating two years of nursing experience, undertaking extensive training and clinical practice hours and passing a rigorous written exam administered by the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Leviner expressed a commitment to building upon the program's achievements by implementing innovative strategies that expedite participants' progress towards national certification. This approach seeks to enhance the proficiency and readiness of SANE nurses, ultimately bolstering the quality of care provided to survivors of sexual assault.

FSU became the first Historically Black University in the country to host a SANE training program. It launched in 2023 as a state-wide initiative to increase the number of SANEs with a $1.5 million appropriation from the state of North Carolina. Since then, 131 nurses have completed training at FSU.

For more information about the SANE training program at FSU, visit 

www.uncfsu.edu/nursing

.