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When I do home visits I sit on the floor in a stadium seat, sort or Janpanese style, with the client sitting in a comfortable chair. Since using this method I very rarely have back discomfort. You can get these seats at sporting good stores. It was the best investment I ever made!

I know of some upcoming courses and events, but since I am participating in some, I guess I can not post them on this site. If anyone wants further information, they can message me. One will be in Santa Rosa, the other in Portland. Both 3 day course.

Just to let you know. The course in Seattle is non-profit and I am speaking for free. This was not an advertisement. There is a company paying my airfare there and that is all. I am taking a loss so I can share free information with other foot nurses. Laura

I talked with the one in charge of the program today and she is open to possibilities for nurse presenters. Regarding FNANA- there is a project that really needs to be done someday, you may want to give it a shot. EVERY board of RN for every state needs to be emailed and requested to submit in writing the portion of their nurse pracitice act that addresses foot care. I hope to get this done and post this on my website so every nurse from every state knows exactly where he/she stands in regard to foot care.

I have finally gotten the material on the FNANA, Foot Nurse Alliance of North America. I am going to try and breathe life back into it. I think it will eventually transform into a real Association. For now it is just a free Alliance to keep nurses networked and provide support. There will be a website up in a few weeks. It looks like I will be presenting at the Seattle Conference. They had no nurses on their agenda, Mara was unavailable this year, so I will try and fill her shoes with information on instruments, tools, infection control, and information on starting an independant practice.

I think I have sucessfully uploaded the only form I have on WORD that might be useful. I have not used it, but after looking at it again, may consider adding it to my charting. Hope it helps. Nurse Diagnosis & Intrvention.doc

I think I have sucessfully uploaded the only form I have on WORD that might be useful. I have not used it, but after looking at it again, may consider adding it to my charting. Hope it helps.

About 7-8 years ago a woman (one of the original pioneers of foot care nursing in the US) named Jane Kelly started an association called F.N.A.N.A. FOOT NURSE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA. (pronounced fananna) Her husband was very ill and she was nearing retirement so she passed the presidency of this association on to two nurses in Arizona. The association has been in a sort of suspended animation for the past 2 years. These nurses have been so busy with their own business that they have had little time to deal with the association. I think there are about 35 members. I will be meeting with these nurses in August, when I move my daughter to Tuscon to go to college. We will discuss reviving the association. I believe starting a real association is sort of a big deal, lots of red tape, and since it has already be done, it would be a shame to have to go thru all that again if we do not have to. I will be taking this information back to the foot and nail exam committee when we meet again in Kansas City MO. in October. We all know that an association is needed and if this one is no longer active, then the committee will be dealing with starting one. The WOCNCB is well connected and will know how to properly do this. So I would advice you to hang in there until October and see what happens after this meeting. There is a benefactor of sorts, who may be donating resources for this. We will also be discussing a website devoted strictly to foot care nurse where nurses can freely discuss anything on their mind, including who they are, what their business are, and how their business might help others who need their services. So there will be a lot of news regarding the future of foot care nursing in late October. There will also be discussions of mass trainings for foot care nurses. It is too premature to say anything more about the trainings. I will let you all know, when I know. Hang in there!

Stainless stell nippers of various sizes ( I will use up to 3 different nippers on one person's feet) Buy German and buy the best. I prefer straight, not curved. Rasps are totally different and used for the corners to prevent spicules. I do not find diamond debs effective at all. There are much better coorifice diamond files out there by a company called Erica, they cost about $25 each, but worth it. Tools are everything. (or almost!) Electric nail filing system with various bits that can be sterilized. Currettes, scalpel (if you are an RN) with #15 blade or a minibeaver blade with a #64 for IPK's. That's all I can think of for now.

I am gathering information about the best electric nail filing systems and bits, as I feel, aside from good nippers, this is the most useful tool there is in foot care. Dremmels should be thrown in the garbage. I was an expert witness on a case involving a dremmel use and the resulting 4 amputation surgeries that followed. Chicago Podiatric supplies are good Sally's Beauty Supply Go to some of the podiatrist sites like Podiatry Online and sign up for their forums. They have used equipment sometimes. Ebay has used autoclaves and dopplers BUT before you go out and buy this stuff, you should be very committed to this feild as it can get pretty expensive. Many nurses I have met over the past 10 years think this is a great "get rich quick" feild. They do not consider the time involved becoming skilled. It takes doing literally hundreds of nails before you can truly feel confident with whatever nails you come across. Good tools are essential. Good luck!

Moore Medical supplies has extensive podiatry supplies, call or write and get a catalog. They are at mooremedical.com I think! They are incredibly fast with deliveries and this is where I get almost all my medical supplies as well as nippers.

http://www.wocncb.org/foot_nail.htm I just found this site. It gives complete details on the upcoming certification as well as information on more foot courses going on. Check it out.

http://www.musc.edu/nursing/continue/CON_FOOT_CARE_BROCHURE_2004.pdf Check out this site for a great one day foot care course on August 28th in Charleston, South Carolina. The instructor, Dr. Theresa Kelechi is my friend and mentor. This is not a solicitation, I have nothing to do with this couse. Theresa is the queen of foot care and anyone who can go should go. Tell her Laura sent ya!

Thank you so much for you quick response. It sounds as if the situation in the UK is very much like it is in the US. Almost every nurse I have ever met here in the states, believes that nurses can not trim nails. They think it is out of our scope of practice. I personally remember being taught in nursing school (30 years ago) that we could not cut nails, that they had to be referred to a podiatrist or the family had to do it. However, it is now known that nail care is within our scope of practice, but there are very very few training courses out there. It is a delema! The Canadian nurses are far ahead of us. They have 40 hour courses in their colleges for training in foot care nursing, as well as courses in how to start your own foot care business. I had the pleasure of attending a foot care seminar in Winnipeg last fall. It was incredible! I was in a room with 100 other foot care nurses. Yous see, I am one of a very few nurses who do foot care in the states. I am the ONLY foot nurse that I have heard of who has their own office. I also do home visits. I was trained by a podiatrist 10 years ago. When I discovered that it was both legal and possible to have my own business, I started in very gradually starting to build up a practice. I now have over 350 regular clients and a very satisfing life. I have 2 daughters and have been able to participate in their lives much more so than I did when I worked in a hospital or clinic setting. But my main point of all this is that in order to prevent foot amputations from diabetes, that there has to be A WHOLE LOT MORE medical people performing quality foot care and nurses are the most logical choice. I am hoping to get back to London the next time that Dr. Andrew Boulton holds his diabetic foot course. If I am really lucky, I may be able to do a short presentation there or at least have a booth at the Vendors Fair. It is an area of great need and great reward. I am hoping someday to have a traveling nursing foot course to teach any nurse anywhere how to safely perform foot care. My professional goal is to help as many nurses to become educated in this field so that they in return can help their diabetic patients keep their feet right where they are supposed to be, attached to their legs. So if any of you are looking for a new field. You might see if a podiatrist would hire you in their office. Thanks again so much for answering my questions. Ta Ta, Laura

Hello, I am a foot nurse from California. Last summer I spent 10 days in England (remember when it was 105 degrees? I was on a tour at Windsor Castle on that day). I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a full day at a diabetic foot clinic at the King's College with Dr. Ali Foster, an extraordinaryily remarkable D.P.M) I asked her if she knew of any foot nurses like myself in the UK. (I specialize in preventive foot care for non-high risk diabetics, providing nail trimming, corn and callous care and fungal nail debridement. I have an independant practice and have been in business for myself for 8 years.) She said she knew of only 3 nurses in the UK who could cut nails. Surely she can not be right! I am writing to try and connect with any nurses who do this sort of thing. I would love to find out more about how routine foot care is provided in your country and if whatever system it is, is adequate. Foot Nursing is a wonderful specialty and I am on a mission to spread the word that it is up to the nurses of the world to help prevent the complications of diabetes that can be so easily prevented with proper nail and foot care and patient/caregiver education. Diabetes in a global problem and I am very interested in someday starting an international foot nurse association so we can share ideas and techniques (as well as travel to foreign places and meet new and meeting exciting people!!! plus get continuing education and have a great tax write-off) Anyone interested, let me know. Would love to hear your comments.