Horizon Health Network has made sweeping changes to the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program following an internal review that was linked to reports a woman, who was sexually assaulted, had been initially turned away from the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital because no nurses were available to do the exam.
Margaret Melanson said $1.16 million in net new funding is being provided to make changes to the program, including its name.
It’ll now be called the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program.
“Firstly, the formation of a provincial governance committee consisting of expertise both from Horizon and Vitalite Health Network as well as the Department of Health,” she said. “The addition of full-time forensic nurse examiner staff and hours of service to our five sites.”
In a release, Horizon said it would be hiring full-time FNEs in Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Upper River Valley and Miramichi. Previously, nurses who were trained to do the specialized forensic exam did so in conjunction with other duties and were on call 24/7.
Horizon said it will translate to about seven full-time FNEs, in addition to the coordinators already in place.
In Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton, there will be 16 hours of coverage under the changes, while in Upper River Valley and Miramichi, will have eight hours of coverage.
It will also develop a provincial FNE education strategy to “streamline education with technological solutions to enable ease of access and to ensure effective and efficient onboarding of all FNE personnel.”
Horizon will establish a provincial governance committee, Melanson said. It will work to establish quality standards, monitor performance, and recommend further optimization of the program to better meet the needs of the patients.
Greg Doiron, Horizon’s vice-president clinical services, said the big thing is that once the quality standards are in place, that committee with monitor them and ensure proper performance of those standards.
“This provincial governance committee will ensure that patients and victims requiring the care our forensic nurses examiners get the same standard of care regardless of where they are in New Brunswick,” he said.
As for whether trust could be re-established with victims of sexual violence who might seek care in the wake of what has happened in the past, Melanson said she hoped this was a good first step.
“We recognize that trust builds at the speed of relationships,” she said. “It is our hope with relationship building that trust from the community will develop from there.”
Four nurses resigned in the wake of comments made by Premier Blaine Higgs after the report was published by CBC.
In a statement in September, the premier called the situation unacceptable and said it was reflective of a process guided by “very poor” decision-making and a “lack of compassion.”
Horizon wouldn’t say whether those four nurses have returned as a result of the changes.
“Through the listening that we’ve done and seeking to understand, I think they felt hurt, and I think that’s part of … part of building trust with the team,” Doiron said.
Doiron spoke with the current and former FNEs twice since the incident took place to help them form the changes announced on Wednesday.
“There has been and continues to be interest in the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program and I believe these investments will solidify this,” he said.
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