A New Brunswick sexual assault nurse examiner says the case of a rape victim being turned away from a forensic examination last month was the result of a systemic failure, rather than a lack of compassion, as suggested by the premier.
The CBC reported earlier this week that a woman presented to Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in early August after an alleged sexual assault, but was told she would have to come back the next day as there were no sexual assault nurse examiners on hand to examine her.
According to the report, she was told to go home and not shower or change her clothes, and to use the the bathroom as little as possible to preserve evidence.
After the woman contacted the Fredericton Police Force, an officer intervened and a nurse was called in to see her that night.
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As a result, Horizon Health Network announced it will review the provincial sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program.
In a statement earlier this week, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs called the situation unacceptable and said it was reflective of a process guided by “very poor” decision-making and a “lack of compassion.”
That comment didn’t sit right with sexual assault nurse examiner Janet Matheson, who works at the hospital where the incident happened.
In a public Facebook post, she said the comments were “discouraging,” saying they were misleading and painted nurses in a negative light.
She said what happened that night wasn’t due to a lack of compassion — rather, “it was the fault of a system failing under its own weight because of the government’s inability to fix it.”
Matheson also said in her post that there’s more to the story, but “we are handcuffed from sharing them by privacy restrictions.”
In an interview with Global News, Matheson said on Friday she also felt “slapped in the face” and “thrown under the bus” by what she sees as a lack of support from Horizon in light of the premier’s comments.
Matheson said she was the nurse who ended up being called in to examine the patient that evening. At the time, she was in bed after completing an evening shift, but was able to get to the hospital in about 20 to 25 minutes.
Matheson, who’s been a nurse for 45 years and got involved in the SANE program in 2006, said there are only five SANE nurses in the Fredericton area.
She said while they’re able to have coverage between the five of them about 90 per cent of the time, they’re still “stretched thin,” with nurses working “massive” amounts of on-call shifts on their days off.
“Five people can only do so much. I would love to see them train some more,” she said, though she noted the job can be taxing and is “not for everyone.”
“It takes a lot of care and commitment and compassion,” said Matheson.
But despite the “challenging” work, she said she loves what she does and is passionate about helping people.
“I’ve always wanted the (patients) to have the best possible care that I can give them on their worst possible day,” she said.
“We do it because we do care. All of us. And certainly … all this week we’re not forgetting that there was a traumatized young lady.”
Systemic gaps
Speaking with reporters Thursday, Melanson, the CEO of Horizon Health Network, said she commends the nurses who undergo the training and participate in the SANE program.
There are a total of 40 nurses trained for sexual assault examinations in the province — 26 with Horizon, and 14 with the Vitalité Health Network.
“We certainly know that when a nurse is with a victim in this circumstance, it often requires several hours for them to comfort the patient, and to adequately carry out the examination that is required,” she said.
She said the case involving the patient at Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital exposes “gaps and issues in our system.”
“I certainly do not want in any way to make anyone feel as though there is any type of scrutiny, or worse, any blame, to be applied to any of our staff,” she said.
“Our staff are dedicated individuals who often carry out this work after long hours of busy shifts, because they are committed to this program and very committed to the population and the need for this type of service.”
Melanson said she met with the premier earlier in the week and said he was aware of the systemic issues behind this incident.
She did not, however, say if she spoke with him specifically about his comment about there being a lack of compassion.
— with files from Silas Brown and The Canadian Press
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