The Development of a resource manual for licensed practical nurses: foot care for high risk older adults in a long term care Agency

Abstract

Preventative foot practices can assist high risk older adults (65 years and older) with their mobility and independence. Licensed practical nurses can play an important role in the implementation of interventions to provide foot health and preventative care to high risk older adults in a long term care agency. Therefore, in order to assist these health providers with the knowledge required to perform thorough foot and nail assessments and implement appropriate interventions within their scope of practice, a resource manual was developed to assist with meeting this goal. An extensive literature review was completed to obtain current evidence-based information during the development of the manual. Five modules were written using Knowles’ Adult Learning Principles (1984) and Morrison, Ross and Kemp’s Model of Instructional Design (2004). These modules included various relevant topics for example, high risk feet, aging feet, skin, nail and joint pathologies. One additional module provided other resources on the module topics. This report will be presenting the process in which the resource manual was developed for licensed practical nurses using advanced nursing competencies. It identifies the implications for nursing practice, limitations, and future recommendations.