FCN Course Outline

In association with Foot Canada Training

Windsor FCN Clinical Course Outline


Total Hours: 43 (Not including lunches and breaks)


The Foot Care Nurse Clinical course (formerly FCN Part 2) is designed for nurses (RN’s, NP’s, RPN’s & LPN’s) who have successfully completed the Online Foot Care Nurse Theory course and are ready to practise their Foot Care Nurse skills onsite with the guidance and supervision of a Foot Care Nurse Educator. The course uses the Canadian Association of Foot Care Nurses’ National Competencies for Advanced Nursing Foot Care in Canada (2017) as Clinical Performance Standards and teaches a comprehensive, advanced and diabetic nursing foot care curriculum, which follows current best practice guidelines and evidence-based practice.

Printable Version of the Windsor FCN Clinical Course Outline


This course provides in-person clinical foot care nurse skills development and mentorship. Together, both the FCN Theory and FCN Clinical courses are designed to prepare participants to function as a Foot Care Nurse within a health care team.

Foot Canada Training FCN Clinical Course Curriculum – The Foot Care Nurse Clinical course was developed by Foot Canada Training and is administered by Foot Care Nurse Educators, colleges and universities who have a license to access and use Foot Canada Training’s curriculum. Education providers teach and administer FCN Clinical independently from Foot Canada Training. Each of these education providers have access to the same standardized peer-reviewed education guidelines, teaching materials and suggested FCN Clinical Course Outline. Please visit the Clinical Education Providers’ page of the Foot Canada Training website for a list of FCN Clinical education providers using the Foot Canada Training curriculum.

This is the suggested course outline for all FCN Clinical education providers. Sections of this course outline may be adjusted by the FCN Clinical Educator to meet local education needs. Students are invited to inquire directly with their FCN Clinical Educator to get a final version of the course outline for their location.


Prerequisites

  • FCN Theory – Applicants must start FCN Clinical within 12 months of achieving a passing grade from FCN Theory. Exceptions to the 12-month rule may be allowed in extenuating circumstances. Applicants are to contact their FCN Clinical location of choice to discuss their unique circumstances and for more detail.

  • Non-restricted Nursing Registration/License – Applicants must hold a current non-restricted Nursing Registration/License (temporary or full) from the territory or province in which they will be taking the course.

  • Safety and Ethics – It is expected that nurses participating in this course will:

    • follow all applicable legislation;

    • use only the skills authorized within their scope of practice;

    • use only the skills authorized within their scope of practice;

  • Insurance/ID – Each student will need to bring a printed copy of the following on the first day of class:

    • Proof of at least $2 million in personal protective insurance (malpractice insurance).

    • Current government-issued photo ID.


Required Reading

Students are expected to obtain the following:


Credit

Students meeting the minimum passing grade requirement will be provided with a Certificate of Completion from their education provider.


Clinical Performance Standards

The 7 Domains of CAFCN’s National Competencies for Advanced Nursing Foot Care in Canada (2017) are used as Clinical Performance Standards for FCN Clinical (see table on page 3). Clinical Performance Standards consist of the minimum set of skills and knowledge required to competently practise as a Foot Care Nurse.

This course emphasizes professional accountability through resourceful and self-directed learning. Skills and knowledge will be evaluated by the student, their peers and the Educator.

Evaluation is continuous and will consist of formative and summative methods, including step-by-step guided-learning exercises and return demonstrations. There will be an emphasis on self-evaluation with the use of a personal learning plan, pre and post-tests and reflective practice.

All students must develop a Personal Learning Plan with S.M.A.R.T. goals on exit from the FCN Clinical course that includes Clinical Performance Standards for which they did not receive a full mark.


Evaluation

Passing Grade – Students achieving a final grade of Satisfactory (S) by Day 6 are considered to have met the Clinical Performance Standards for FCN Clinical at an entry-level.


Clinical Performance Evaluation

Absent for 1 hour or more – It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they arrive on time, and attend all the scheduled hours for each day, and participate in all the exercises in this course in its entirety to receive a passing grade and certificate. Students will be marked as ‘Incomplete’ if missing a cumulative total of an hour or more of FCN Clinical. Students marked as ‘Incomplete’ may have to register for FCN Clinical a second time to complete the course. In exceptional circumstances, based on the Lead Educator’s assessment, availability and location-specific policies, students who miss an hour or more of FCN Clinical may be offered the possibility of remedial arrangements to make up the time missed. Additional fees may be applicable. The FCN Clinical certificate will only be issued once the student has participated in the full 43 hours required for the FCN Clinical course.


Interpretation of Final Grades

Final Grade Satisfactory (S) (Pass)

  • Competent – Meets expectations for Clinical Performance Standards.

  • Recommendation – Practice within an agency with an onsite mentor or an easily accessible mentor, for a minimum of two years.

Final Grade Unsatisfactory (U) (Fail)

  • Not Competent – Does not meet Clinical Performance Standards effectively or consistently.

  • Recommendation – The student cannot practise foot care. Recommend remedial assistance prior to applying for re-entry to the course.

Final Grade (Incomplete)

  • Not Competent – The student was absent for a portion of the course resulting in skill development and/or skill assessment being incomplete.

  • Recommendation – The student cannot practise foot care. The student must make remedial arrangements with their FCN Clinical location or must re-take FCN Clinical. Note that additional fees may be applicable. The availability of remedial arrangements will be based on location-specific policies and procedures, the Lead Educator’s assessment of the student’s individual circumstances and the Educator’s availability to accommodate the student.


FCN Clinical Lesson Plan (43hrs)


Mentorship (3 hours) – Students will observe their FCN Clinical Lead Educator or one of the FCN Clinical Preceptors performing 2 nursing foot care clinical appointments. These mentorship hours are to be completed during the hours of the FCN Clinical.

Advanced Nursing Foot Care Skills (21.5 hours) – This portion of the course will be taught in a nursing lab or foot care clinical setting and will cover all advanced nursing foot care skills required to complete FCN Clinical, including risk assessments, treatment, development of individualized treatment plans, referrals and health education. Students will be guided to simulate step by step practical hands-on skills on 2 volunteer clients each.

Clinical Skills (18.5 hours) – This portion of the course is offered in a clinical care setting and provides students with clinical experience with 10 -13 volunteer clients, per student group.


FCN Clinical Registration

Tuition for FCN Clinical is not included in tuition for FCN Theory. We strongly encourage all interested students to apply for FCN Clinical during their first month of participating in FCN Theory.

Please visit the Clinical Education Providers’ page of the Foot Canada Training website for a list Foot Care Nurse Educators, colleges and universities with a license to teach this course

We recommend that students get the following course information directly from their course educator prior to registering for FCN Clinical:


Location-Specific Course Information

  • Course Outline

  • Course Dates and Registration Deadlines

  • Contact Information

  • Location(s)

  • Education Team Biographies

  • Registration Requirements and Process

  • Tuition

  • Tuition Refund, Course Cancellation and Waitlist Policy

  • Instruments and Supplies

  • Privacy and Confidentiality Standards

  • Dress Code

  • Unique Facility-Specific Policies and Procedures (including location-specific documents and forms, such as client confidentiality agreements).

Once location-specific documents and forms are reviewed, students must list the name of these forms/documents on the last page of this course outline and email a scan or clear copy of this page to their FCN Clinical location.


Foot Canada Training Intellectual Property Policy

  • The Canada Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42) protects all original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work created in Canada or treaty countries, giving the author the sole “right to copy” (Canadian Intellectual Property Office, 2018).

  • The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (2018) defines copyright as: “In the simplest terms, “copyright” means “the right to copy.” In general, copyright means the sole right to produce or reproduce a work or a substantial part of it in any form. It includes the right to perform the work or any substantial part of it or, in the case of a lecture, to deliver it. If the work is unpublished, copyright includes the right to publish the work or any substantial part of it.”

  • The content of Foot Canada Training’s courses and curriculum is copyrighted and cannot be copied, shared or published without written permission of Foot Canada Training’s Director, Cindy Lazenby.

  • If written permission to copy, share or publish one of Foot Canada Training’s original works is provided by Foot Canada Training’s Director, the proper reference to the author must be given when the work is used.


References used to develop this policy:


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