RAVENNA, Ohio — Sexual assault nurse examiner. Have you heard of this position? There aren't many of them in our state.
One local nurse is hoping to make this new nursing field more accessible here in Ohio. Tara Barr is a RN, ER charge nurse at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center. She also works as a sexual assault nurse examiner.
Barr said she knew at a young age that she wanted to dedicate her life to helping others. At a previous position, however, specialized care for those affected by sexual assault and domestic violence was not available. For that reason, she said she had to turn people away at times.
Sexual assault nurse examiners are registered nurses who are trained to provide comprehensive health care to people impacted by sexual assault. In her role, Barr said she gives patients resources to help them find a safe place to stay and at times, testifies in court.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in three women and one in six men will experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetimes.
The need for this type of care is great, according to Barr.
"Sexual assault and domestic violence is something that is very prevalent in the community and people don't really realize that," said Barr. "I just want people to know that it might not be an illness that you're suffering, but you matter and what happens to you matters and we are here for you to give you resources."
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