Improving Trauma-Informed Care Understanding Towards Sexual Assault Patients Who Present to the Emergency Department Following a Sexual Assault

BACKGROUND: Rural sexual assault survivors face barriers to accessing trauma-informed care (TIC), including shortages of sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) and limited resources, leading to retraumatization and poorer outcomes. AIM: To improve TIC knowledge among SANE-competent nurses in a rural Midwestern emergency department and assess effects on advocacy service use. METHODS: A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design that included 12 SANE-competent nurses who completed the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care-10 Scale (ARTIC-10) pre/post and a 16-minute TIC and advocacy video. RESULTS: ARTIC-10 scores increased significantly, indicating improvement in TIC attitudes and competencies. Qualitative findings showed greater empathy, empowerment, and communication. Advocacy center calls doubled post-intervention. DISCUSSION: Brief, targeted TIC training show promise to improve competencies and advocacy utilization. A concise microlearning module can strengthen TIC and advocacy collaboration among rural SANE-competent nurses, offering a scalable model for underserved communities.