To any and all footcare nurse business owners

Psychcns · Mar 10, 2012

This sounds great!!

Congratulations on moving out of nursing traditional roles, aka what we are allowed to do...Does your nurse practice act allow this independent practice?? Are you working as an RN or APRN? What standards of practice are you held to? Do you have to have your own policies for managing emergencies? etc....

I think it is great you are doing this? and going to the home you dont have office overhead, etc....

Tell us more!!!

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 11, 2012

congrats are in order on your latest accomplishment :yeah: ..as i wish you the best in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

bsrn1 · Mar 21, 2012

sounds awsome what do footcare nurses do and what kind of services do thy offer i am an rn in cleveland ohio this is first time hearing about rn footcare busines i wpuld love to hear more if u have the time thanks keep up the great work

yrmajesty3 · Apr 5, 2012

Hi there,
Gosh I am so excited to be done with my footcare course that I attended in San Diego through Shelly Taylor! The course was awesome and I learned alot. Now just passing the test. I have formed my LLC and am thinking of ways to get my business going. I would just like a few clients-my goal is 30 a month as I am also a staff RN at the local hospital here. I would like to hear about success stories from other footcare nurses and the services you offer and a price range? I am thinking along the lines of $45-$60 per home visit. Anyways, I got discouraged talking to another nurse who said the podiatrists in town were going to not like the idea, and that it would be difficult getting fee for service being unable to bill medicare. I almost didn't go to my course actually because it really bugged me. I am thinking that if I will pay 40 for a pedicure and have to drive there, why wouldn't someone pay for their mom or their selves to have footcare in the home? So, I am thinking that I might do some probono stuff at the alf/snf and checkout the diabetes clinic here in town. maybe the free drs clinic as well. I'm feeling that refferals is going to be a large part of my business as well so rounding up a team of who I know. Please tell me about your footcare biz and if you have struggled getting it going? the good, thebad, the ugly please! thanks

Hello Dixienurse,

It's true that some podiatrists will be suspicious thinking you are after their patients. It may mean educating them about what a foot care nurse is and does. We actually need to develop relationships with podiatrists because you'll need to refer to them for problems outside your scope. I have created a introductory form letter for docs explaining my role and requesting my desire to work with them. So far, none have responded. This week, I need to find someone to visit one of my clients who is too fragile to move. When I make those phone calls, it will be an opportunity to make myself known.

For me, the process is going slowly but I really just got started. Marketing is turning out to be much more arduous than I thought. I've had some luck in community centers (setting-up foot care info tables during senior events) and non-medical home health companies.

In order to get 30 clients a month, you may need to set up a foot care clinic to get started. However, don't waste your time in nursing homes or assisted livings as they tend to have long-standing contracts with podiatry practices already. Also, you'll have a harder time developing clientele if you live in an area with tons of podiatry practices ( as I do).

Keep me posted.

footqueen · Apr 10, 2012

I am 3 months into running my own foot care practice. At first, I wanted to be only a "mobile" clinic and travel to my clinic sites, set up/break down each time. Since I am in a small town, I quickly realized it would make more sense for me to have my own clinic site. I was able to find an inexpensive office with an outer reception area and a separate treatment room. Marketing is tough! The local ALF and nursing homes have not shown any interest. I have gotten a contract with a nearby Senior Center (yea!) but hoped that I'd have more luck with other ALF's.

I am slowly building up a clientele but it is taking longer than I hoped. Luckily, my new clients have been very pleased and are re-booking with me :)

I'd love to network with other nurses in a similar situation!

bizi · Apr 10, 2012

I have a hard time marketing too. I see all of my clients in their homes I don't have any clinics. In my state I have to have doctors orders to provide care, I live in louisiana. Not sure how I would be able to do that with a clinic but am willing to try. ONe is in the works for the near future.Good luck in your endeavors!

bizi

hotflashion, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2012

I love this idea and can't read enough about it. I love having my feet pampered but have toenail fungus so while I enjoy a pedicure, I cannot have polish. Somehow or other with polished nails as the typical end point, the typical pedicure place doesn't really know what to do with me. So, I originally thought of "foot care nurse" as a medically educated pedicure provider for those with medical conditions that contraindicate a cosmetic pedicure. I know that the practice is broader than that, but there have to be many out there who want to be pampered, safely.

I'm in MA and I know I started looking into the nurse practice act for my state to see if this scope of practice was allowed here. I never answered the question to my satisfaction.

Race Mom, ASN, RN · Apr 17, 2012

Well hotflashion...here you go!!!! Foot Care - Health and Human Services - Mass.Gov

I hope that link works! Go for it!

Lisa

hotflashion, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2012

Thank you so much! You are really going for it, and I will read with interest your progress. In general, I'm working on organizing my efforts and fine tuning the areas I want to focus on. I'll see you around. Thanks again.

Race Mom, ASN, RN · Apr 17, 2012

You're welcome! Best of luck to you!

yrmajesty3 · Apr 27, 2012

For all of you with your own foot care business....

Please share your most successful marketing strategies. I am having great difficulty finding seniors who are NOT under the care of a podiatrist. I have no interest in competing with podiatry. I would like to find a way to market to those who don't meet the requirements for insurance coverage but still require care. So far, I have direct marketed to a few community centers where seniors gather. I set up an attractive info table in these venues and have left info packets in various offices as well. Those that I speak with seem very enthused about the idea of a foot care nurse coming to their homes. People remark what a great idea it is because there is so much need. Yet, I only have 3 clients after 5 months of getting the word out.

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are completely monopolized by Podiatry. I want to market to senior apartment complexes but can't get past the locked doors and the NO SOLICITING policies.

I will be doing a large health fair in June and was thinking of offering free foot health screenings there. Next week, I plan to sit with a professional printing/advertising company to discus an ad design, or maybe a postcard design for direct mail. I'm worried about having to spend mucho $$$$ just for advertising. Any thoughts or words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated???....especially before my meeting next week.

Thank you