Integrating foot care into the everyday clinical practice of nurses

Foot care is an integral part of a patient's daily hygiene requirements, yet the authors have found it to be an area often neglected by nurses. Foot and toenail problems present a considerable challenge to nurses in all healthcare settings, especially for patients with diabetes. However, patients without diabetes also suffer from minor foot abnormalities or injuries that might have been preventable. One acute hospital ward has worked closely with the chiropody department to improve the nursing team's competence and confidence in foot hygiene assessment and toenail clipping and has, therefore, improved the patient experience during hospital admission. This article describes how the nursing team used education to improve the foot care services offered to patients.