Duluth nurse honored for work with sexual assault patients

A Duluth Nurse received international recognition on Tuesday morning, July 2, for her work with victims of sexual assault.

Alisha Blazevic, RN is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE. In her role, she and other SANEs provide care and collect evidence from patients who have experienced sexual violence. Blazevic has been in this role since 2007, working with the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA).

SANE nurses in the program are on call around the clock, responding to calls at four different emergency departments in Duluth and Superior. For her nearly 20 years working with PAVSA, Blazevic was given the Distinguished Fellow Award by the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN).

Blazevic says that her work can often be dark, and that being a SANE isn’t for every nurse. However, she says the impact she sees on patients is what’s kept her working with PAVSA.

“As a nurse being in the emergency room helping, talking to someone and spending time with someone after they’ve been sexually assaulted, you can see the difference that you’re able to make.” Blazevic said.

She also credits her wife and three children’s sacrifices that’s allowed her to succeed in this difficult on-call role, though her wife Nicki Seibert disagrees.

“It’s not really a sacrifice, because she loves it, and we love her, so we don’t look at it that way.” Seibert said.

Blazevic’s SANE work began on a volunteer basis, and over the years, she’s completed over 330 forensic examinations, conducted peer reviews of over 1000 others, and testified in criminal cases. She now works as the PAVSA’s nurse manager.

Blazevic is one of just six people to be honored for her contributions to forensic nursing. The IAFN is an organization spanning 25 countries and has over 6,000 members who specialize in care for patients who’ve experienced violence and trauma.