An adult who reports a recent sexual assault wants medical treatment but is unsure about evidence collection. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

Trauma-informed care uses ongoing informed consent to restore control. The client may accept medical treatment while declining some or all evidence collection and may withdraw consent during the examination. Care is not conditioned on police reporting or a completed evidence kit.

Quick answer
Explain each option and preserve the client's right to decline any procedure or withdraw consent.

Why this is correct
Sexual assault removes personal control, so the examination should return choices to the client rather than create another coercive experience. Consent applies separately and continuously to medical care, examination steps, photographs, and evidence collection.

Easy analogy or mental picture
Consent is a series of doors the client chooses to open, not a door that locks behind them. The analogy emphasizes ongoing choice but does not replace jurisdiction-specific reporting rules or capacity assessment.

Memory hook
Trauma-informed care returns control: explain, ask, respect, reassess consent.

NCLEX decision rule
For a capable adult after sexual assault, prioritize safety, understandable options, and procedure-by-procedure consent; do not make treatment depend on police reporting or evidence collection.

Why the other choices are wrong
Forcing evidence collection, treating initial consent as irrevocable, or requiring a police report undermines autonomy and can increase trauma. Necessary medical treatment remains available regardless of evidence-kit participation.

Clinical Practice Guide
For Direct suicide risk assessment, compare the complete cue pattern with the client's current stability, ordered data, and expected nursing scope.

Caution
Do not choose an action from one isolated cue when the full scenario changes priority or safety.