Question

Law enforcement personnel request your assistance to assess a 31-year-old female who was sexually assaulted. When you arrive at the scene, you find the patient sitting on a curb outside her apartment. She is conscious, alert, and crying. When you ask her what happened, she tells you that she does not want to be treated or transported to the hospital. She further tells you that all she wants to do is clean up. You should:

A. provide emotional support and visually assess her for obvious trauma.
B. ask her if there is anyone you can contact, such as a friend or relative.
C. defer any physical assessment so that you do not destroy potential evidence.
D. advise her that she cannot clean herself up because this will destroy evidence.

Answer 1

Provide emotional support, offer to contact a support person, and advise the victim on the importance of preserving evidence while respecting her decisions.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario where law enforcement personnel request your assistance for a 31-year-old female who was sexually assaulted and is conscious, alert, and crying, yet does not want treatment or transport to the hospital, you should employ a compassionate approach that prioritizes the victim's emotional and psychological needs as well as the preservation of evidence for investigation purposes. Given the sensitive nature of the situation, the correct steps would include:

• Providing emotional support and giving the patient space to express her feelings while still being prepared to perform a visual assessment for obvious trauma.
• Offering to contact a friend, relative, or advocate for support, which can be critical for her emotional well-being.
• Advising her against cleaning up not in a prohibitive manner but rather by informing her about the importance of preserving evidence for the forensic examination which would aid in the investigation and potentially serve justice.