In today’s healthcare landscape, specialized skills are increasingly valuable, and advanced nursing foot care is a critical area of expertise. Our Advanced Nursing Foot Care Program is designed to equip Registered Nurses (RNs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs), and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) with the comprehensive knowledge and practical skills necessary to excel in this rewarding field. This program provides a pathway to become a Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN), opening doors to private practice and enhanced roles within healthcare communities across Canada.
Foot Care
Why Choose Our Advanced Foot Care Nurse Certification Program?
Selecting the right advanced nursing foot care program is crucial for your professional development. Our program stands out for several key reasons:
- Nationally Recognized & CNA Accredited: We are proud to offer the only foot care nurse program in Canada accredited by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) that is fully recognized across the country. This accreditation ensures the highest standards of education and training.
- Path to Certification: This course is officially approved by the Foot Care Nurse Certification Board and directly incorporates the Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN) Competency Exam. Upon successful completion, you will be well-prepared to achieve national certification.
- Respected Provider: The College of Health Studies is a reputable and long-established training provider for nurses seeking advanced foot care expertise throughout Canada. Our program is built upon current best practices in nursing foot care and provides the necessary tools for success.
- Veteran Affairs and Medavie Blue Cross Recognition: Our program is recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and Medavie Blue Cross as a qualified foot care nurse education facility. Graduates are eligible to become veteran affairs foot care nurse providers and receive payment for services to veterans covered by Blue Cross.
- Expert-Led Instruction: Learn from Registered Nurses who possess extensive knowledge and practical experience in advanced nursing foot care, diabetic foot care, and geriatric foot care. Our instructors are dedicated to providing comprehensive and insightful training.
- Comprehensive Curriculum: Our program follows the most current best practice guidelines in nursing foot care, Health Canada’s infection control guidelines, and evidence-based practices. We cover current nursing foot care standards and competencies, ensuring you are up-to-date with the latest industry advancements.
Comprehensive Curriculum: Mastering Advanced Nursing Foot Care
Our advanced nursing foot care program delivers a robust curriculum designed to provide you with in-depth knowledge and practical skills. Key topics include:
- The Evolving Role of the Foot Care Nurse: Understand the expanding responsibilities of nurses in both basic and advanced foot care settings today.
- Diabetes and Foot Health: Gain a thorough review of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, including prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, management, nutrition, and medication, with a specific focus on diabetic foot complications.
- Pathological Conditions of Nails and Feet: Learn to identify and manage a wide range of pathological conditions affecting the nails and feet, enhancing your diagnostic and treatment capabilities.
- Diabetic Foot Care Clinical Practice Guidelines (2018): Become proficient in applying the latest clinical practice guidelines for diabetic foot care to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
- Advanced High-Risk Foot Care Management: Develop specialized skills in assessment, treatment, health education, and documentation for high-risk patients requiring advanced nursing foot care.
- Mastery of Foot Care Tools and Equipment: Gain hands-on experience with a comprehensive range of foot care tools, equipment, and supplies, including rotary tools, foot files, clippers, and nail nippers, and learn their effective and safe application.
- Advanced Foot Care Techniques: Master essential techniques such as precise nail cutting with nippers and specialized scissors, treating ingrown nails and fungal infections, and utilizing strapping, packing, and padding to prevent ingrown nails and manage corns and calluses using specialized tools.
- Callous and Thickened Nail Management: Learn effective methods for callous removal using foot files with disposable abrasive pads and debridement of thickened nails using rotary tools with disposable abrasive emery bands.
- Current Nursing Foot Care Standards and Best Practices: Stay informed on the most current nursing foot care standards, ensuring you provide care that meets or exceeds professional expectations.
- Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC): Implement stringent IPAC standards in foot care, including proper cleaning and sterilization of tools and devices, steam sterilization techniques, and the appropriate use of single-use disposable tools.
- Padding and Strapping Techniques: Become proficient in applying padding and strapping techniques to provide support, protection, and comfort for various foot conditions.
- Peripheral Arterial Disease Assessment: Learn to use Doppler technology to assess peripheral arterial pulses (ABI), a critical skill in identifying and managing patients at risk of peripheral arterial disease.
Upon completion of this advanced nursing foot care program, you will be fully equipped to identify, understand, prevent, and treat common foot and nail disorders. You will gain expertise in assessing high-risk clients, understanding factors affecting foot health, ensuring safety through infection control practices (including N95 mask use and autoclave/steam sterilization), understanding the role of Doppler assessments, and implementing best-practice sterilization and single-use tool protocols. Furthermore, you will receive practical guidance on establishing a successful private foot care nursing practice.
Flexible Learning Options to Suit Your Needs
We understand that nurses have busy schedules. To accommodate diverse learning preferences, we offer several flexible program formats for our advanced nursing foot care program:
- Online Program: Complete the program online over 10 weeks, allowing you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule, while still requiring the completion of 20 hands-on case studies within your community.
- On-site Program: Our in-class program is delivered over 5 Fridays, followed by 5 weeks for you to complete 20 hands-on case studies within your community. The next in-class course begins on August 30th and October 4th, 2024.
- Hybrid Online Program: This blended format offers online learning over 10 weeks with a required on-site session in week 3 for practical training on advanced foot care techniques and tool utilization. Flexible start dates are available, and you will also complete 20 hands-on case studies in your community.
Admission Requirements and Course Details
To enroll in our advanced nursing foot care program, you will need:
- A current, non-restricted nursing registration license (RN, LPN, or RPN) in your province.
- Professional liability insurance from your nursing association.
Please note that the foot care manual and kit are not included in the course fee. However, as a student, you will gain access to wholesale suppliers for purchasing foot care supplies and equipment at discounted prices, enabling you to conduct your required case studies using professional-grade tools and disinfectants.
The total course duration is 110 hours, encompassing theory, in-class lab/clinical sessions, and the completion of 20 case studies (approximately 2.5 hours each).
For nurses in Ontario, tuition fees are tax-deductible, and this program may qualify for training reimbursement under the Ontario government’s nursing training initiative. Contact your nursing association for eligibility details.
Upon successful completion of the theory component, demonstration of practical skills in the lab, passing the Foot Care Nurse Competencies exam, and completion of 20 hands-on case studies, you will be awarded the Advanced Nursing Foot Care Certificate, a certificate of membership from Foot Care Nurse Certification as a Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN), and a 1-year membership with the Foot Care Nurse Certification Board.
Upcoming Course Start Dates:
- In-Class: August 30 and October 4, 2024 (5 Fridays in class + 5 weeks for case studies)
- Online: 10 weeks duration with flexible start dates
- Hybrid/Online: 10 weeks duration with flexible start dates
Classes are kept small and tend to fill quickly, so reserve your place today!
Click here if you are already a practicing foot care nurse and wish to upgrade your skills or become certified.
Click here if you are a foot care nurse educator interested in licensing our CNA-accredited Advanced Foot Care Nurse Curriculum.
RNAO Recognition Award
We are honored to have received the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Promotion in a Nursing Program award in 2017, recognizing our commitment to excellence in nursing education.
Invest in Your Nursing Career Today
Take the next step in your nursing career and specialize in this vital and growing field. To reserve your spot or register for the next advanced nursing foot care program, please complete the contact form on our website. We look forward to helping you achieve your professional goals!
