In nursing school, Norah Lusk already knew she wanted to work with sexual assault survivors. She had seen how this part of the health care system was “sorely lacking” through victim-blaming, long wait times and a shortage of specialized practitioners.
Now a sexual assault nurse examiner, or SANE, Lusk is trained to care for survivors of violence. SANEs conduct forensic exams, collect evidence, provide follow-up care, advise survivors on their reporting options, testify at trials and more.
Lusk works in an emergency room in Elko, Nevada − a four-hour drive from Reno. In between the two cities, there is nowhere for sexual assault survivors to receive forensic exams, which are essential for law enforcement investigations.
Survivors in Lusk’s area might have to travel hundreds of miles for proper medical care. The burden is often on them to know where to go and how to get there − all after experiencing a major trauma.