Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Chasity Wehunt Named Teammate of the Month for UNC Health Pardee
UNC Health Pardee has announced Chasity Wehunt, RN and sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) who works in Pardee Hospital’s Psychiatric and Addictions Therapeutic Healing Services (PATHS) program, as its Teammate of the Month. In her role, Wehunt works as a registered nurse on the PATHS unit providing care to those who need mental health or addiction services.
Wehunt has been a registered nurse with Pardee since 2005. In 2016, she completed specialized education and clinical preparation to become a SANE nurse and provide comprehensive care to sexual assault victims. “I decided to become a SANE nurse after seeing so many patients experience sexual trauma and I felt they needed an advocate,” Wehunt said. A SANE nurse specializes in the collection and preservation of evidence related to crimes of interpersonal violence. “My role as a SANE nurse embodies a broad framework from the nursing process to human rights of victims,” Wehunt shared. “I am the voice of my patient to make sure they are heard.” Her colleagues describe her as compassionate and committed to advocating for her patients, sharing that “her commitment to justice and compassion goes beyond the boundaries of her primary role as a psychiatric nurse.”
The Teammate of the Month award is given to a Pardee employee who positively contributes to achieving the organization’s mission, vision and goals. This person is selected by a committee of their peers and recognized for going above and beyond their regular duties to support patients, customers, peers, the organization and its community. The Teammate of the Month award showcases the many different roles of keeping a health system, like Pardee, operating and delivering patient-centered, quality care.
UNC Health Pardee is a not-for-profit community healthcare system managed by UNC Health. The hospital, founded in 1953, is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, four urgent care locations and six orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit pardeehospital.org.
