From emergency medicine, Philadelphia nurse found her calling helping sexual assault victims

UNIVERSITY CITY (WPVI) -- Nurses often take unexpected paths to find their calling.

One winner in this year's Independence Blue Celebrate Caring campaign started in emergency medicine, but is now dedicated to helping victims of sexual violence.

"I have my own personal history of trauma and witnessing firsthand violence," says Allison Denman, MSN, SANE-A, Clinical director of the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center.

But it wasn't until she was helping victims herself as an emergency medical technician that Allison knew of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.

"I was kind of shocked to see how little resources or information there was available," she recalls.

Allison made it a mission to educate herself and first responders in her area about child abuse, elder abuse, and sex trafficking, and the laws around them.

"It's sometimes stunning to folks when I talk about risk factors of violence and who is affected by this type of violence in the community.," she says, adding, "Some of our most vulnerable people are the ones who are not only experiencing this violence, but are also often the ones who do not have access to even speaking up."

After time as a certified nurse in the field, Allison is now the clinical director and nurse manager of the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center, or PSARC.

It's a 24/7, 365-day outpatient clinic with other specially trained nurses to do rape examinations and collects evidence, regardless whether victims report the assault to police.

"Pennsylvania is very tricky as far as what the road-mapping of these types of services look like," Allison says. "Not every hospital in Pennsylvania offers this nature of care."

In fact, PSARC sees patients from as far as the Poconos.

"Patients can be brought in directly by law enforcement, advocacy, accompaniment, or personal referral. But we do also go to the hospitals for patients not medically stable enough to be brought in," she says.

It also makes sure victims can get ongoing support.

Allison often speaks to local and state lawmakers about funding for necessary programs.

"We're really, really lucky in the city of Philadelphia to have such a rich survivor support network of advocates, legal support, counselors, case management, housing, transportation," she says.

The nurses also testify in court. Seeing such trauma can be emotionally and physically draining.

"A forensic nurse on average only lasts about two years in the field," she says.

Allison says her family, her dogs, a therapist, and a hobby help.

"The Philadelphia and Greater Philadelphia belly dance community is who keeps me glued together," she says with a laugh.

The late Paula Sunshine of Independence Blue Cross created Celebrate Caring to spotlight the intelligence and compassion nurses show.

"They don't sometimes even see how incredible the actions that they take and the impact that they have are," says Koleen Cavanaugh, Chief Marketing Officer of Independence Blue Cross.

Over 1000 nominations came in this year. And over 60 nurses have been honored since the awards started six years ago.