Posted on May 7, 2023
Her job is to care for survivors of sexual assault. Why aren't there more like her?
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/05/ [login to see] /her-job-is-to-care-for-survivors-of-sexual-assault-why-arent-there-more-like-her
Jacqueline Towarnicki got a text as she finished her day shift at a local clinic in Missoula, Montana. She had a new case, a patient covered in bruises who couldn't remember how the injuries got there.
Towarnicki's breath caught, a familiar feeling after four years of working night shifts as a sexual assault nurse examiner in this northwestern Montana city.
"You almost want to curse," Towarnicki, 38, said. "You're like, 'Oh, no, it's happening.'"
These nights on duty are Towarnicki's second job. She's on call once a week and a weekend a month. A survivor may need protection against sexually transmitted infections, medicine to avoid getting pregnant, or evidence collected to prosecute their attacker. Or all the above.
When her phone rings, it's typically in the middle of the night. Towarnicki tiptoes down the stairs of her home to avoid waking her young son, as her half-asleep husband whispers encouragement into the dark.
Jacqueline Towarnicki got a text as she finished her day shift at a local clinic in Missoula, Montana. She had a new case, a patient covered in bruises who couldn't remember how the injuries got there.
Towarnicki's breath caught, a familiar feeling after four years of working night shifts as a sexual assault nurse examiner in this northwestern Montana city.
"You almost want to curse," Towarnicki, 38, said. "You're like, 'Oh, no, it's happening.'"
These nights on duty are Towarnicki's second job. She's on call once a week and a weekend a month. A survivor may need protection against sexually transmitted infections, medicine to avoid getting pregnant, or evidence collected to prosecute their attacker. Or all the above.
When her phone rings, it's typically in the middle of the night. Towarnicki tiptoes down the stairs of her home to avoid waking her young son, as her half-asleep husband whispers encouragement into the dark.
Her job is to care for survivors of sexual assault. Why aren't there more like her?
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: 
Sexual Assault
Missoula
Sexual Assault Missoula
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 1
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."These nights on duty are Towarnicki's second job. She's on call once a week and a weekend a month. A survivor may need protection against sexually transmitted infections, medicine to avoid getting pregnant, or evidence collected to prosecute their attacker. Or all the above.
When her phone rings, it's typically in the middle of the night. Towarnicki tiptoes down the stairs of her home to avoid waking her young son, as her half-asleep husband whispers encouragement into the dark.
Her breath is steady by the time she changes into the clothes she laid out close to her back door before going to bed. She grabs her nurse's badge and drives to First Step Resource Center, a clinic that offers around-the-clock care for people who have been assaulted.
She wants her patients to know they're out of danger.
"You meet people in some of their most horrifying, darkest, terrifying times," Towarnicki said. "Being with them and then seeing who they are when they leave, you don't get that doing any other job in health care."...
..."These nights on duty are Towarnicki's second job. She's on call once a week and a weekend a month. A survivor may need protection against sexually transmitted infections, medicine to avoid getting pregnant, or evidence collected to prosecute their attacker. Or all the above.
When her phone rings, it's typically in the middle of the night. Towarnicki tiptoes down the stairs of her home to avoid waking her young son, as her half-asleep husband whispers encouragement into the dark.
Her breath is steady by the time she changes into the clothes she laid out close to her back door before going to bed. She grabs her nurse's badge and drives to First Step Resource Center, a clinic that offers around-the-clock care for people who have been assaulted.
She wants her patients to know they're out of danger.
"You meet people in some of their most horrifying, darkest, terrifying times," Towarnicki said. "Being with them and then seeing who they are when they leave, you don't get that doing any other job in health care."...
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