Hospital and agency policies and procedures provide written guidance for how the SANE provides care. Protocols are frequently used to describe how SANEs will comply with laws and regulations. For example, a policy on consent for minors with regard to contraception should cite, and be consistent with, any applicable state or federal laws. Policies should be reviewed, updated, and approved by the administration regularly. Nurses need to be familiar with any policies that apply to their jobs, and reviewing policies should be a regular part of a performance review. While policies are not actual laws or regulations, they can be used as evidence that a SANE is aware of any legal obligations described in the policy. Old polices should not be destroyed, keep them for legal purposes in case of a lawsuit or other legal conflict to demonstrate what the standard of care was at the time the incident occurred.