Footcare Nurse

New Dawn Homecare

About the Position

The primary focus of the Footcare Nurse is to prevent serious medical complications for New Dawn clients, including amputation prevention, by providing Basic Footcare and Advanced/Diabetic Footcare to New Dawn Nursing clients in their homes, in clinics and in care facility settings. The Footcare Nurse is also a New Dawn Homecare representative to the public and plays a key role in the success of all New Dawn Homecare programs. The Footcare Nurse will ensure that all services are provided in a caring and respectful way in keeping with all relevant New Dawn policies and procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Manage and conduct all aspects of footcare appointments and clinic operations according to the established highest quality care standards of practiceas described in the New Dawn Nursing Footcare Policy & Procedure Manual and in accordance with the National Competencies for Advanced Nursing Foot Care in Canada 
  • Provide foot risk assessment, care and advice for clientsin homes, clinics and care facility settings  
  • Assess footwear and socks (work footwear) 
  • Manage and conduct all aspects of in-home foot care visits according to the established highest quality care standards of practice, including the most up-to-date infection prevention and control practices as directed in the national infection prevention and control standards (CSA Z314:23 Canadian medical device reprocessing in all health care settings) and all provincial guidelines and legislation 
  • Provide footcare including clipping and filing nails, treating corns, calluses, ingrown nails and thickened nails 
  • Promote skin health, hydration (lotion), oral hydration, and correct use of products 
  • Coordinate and ensure all supplies/related equipment are secured, properly set up and fully operational 
  • Clean, autoclave sterilize, disinfect, store and use all instruments and medical devices in accordance with prescribed policies and procedures, which prescribes the use of autoclave as means of cleaning and disinfecting 
  • Dispose of single-use instruments in household or institutional disposable system  
  • Use products purchased and owned by New Dawn Homecare for all appointments, taking care to follow all policies and procedures for use 
  • Create and maintain the related client documentation in accordance with set guidelines 
  • Teach and educate clients on preventative footcare and footwear related topics 
  • Determine and carry out appropriate advanced footcare nursing interventions 
  • Be conscience of hazards in the home, clinic, care facility and office environments and to act accordingly in meeting the safety and protection needs of the client. In keeping with the Occupational Health & Safety Act, the Footcare Nurse will take every reasonable precaution to ensure that the workplace is safe 
  • Perform other services as assigned and required, as needed. 

Core Competencies  

  • Servant leadership
  • Ethics and integrity
  • Client and community-focused
  • Initiative and problem solving    
  • Accountability & dependability
  • Strong oral and written communication focused on building trust-filled relationships
  • Teamwork & collaboration   
  • Detail orientation  
  • Adaptability
  • Leadership 

Qualifications 

  • Registration with the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN) and graduate from an accredited school of nursing
  • Footcare Certification (Basic and/or Advance Footcare Courses)that includes IPAC training and education
  • Minimum two (2) years nursing experience in a community setting
  • Valid and up to date First Aid & CPR certification
  • Clear criminal records check
  • Compassion and empathy
  • Experience working with and advocating for vulnerable populations
  • Ability to work independently, as part of a team, and with guidance from others
  • Exceptional attention to detail
  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work effectively with others; to work together towards a shared goal
  • Highly organized and ability to work well under pressure
  • Proficiency with Microsoft suite of programs (and applications
  • High level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountability
  • Understands servant leadership and community-focus as central to the work
  • Wears safe professional footwear and clothing

About New Dawn

New Dawn Enterprises Limited is a private, volunteer-directed non-profit social enterprise dedicated to community building. It seeks to identify community needs and to establish and operate ventures that speak to those needs.

Incorporated in 1976, New Dawn is the oldest Community Development Corporation in Canada. Today it employs 150 people across 10 companies: New Dawn Homecare, New Dawn Guest Home and New Dawn Home Living, New Dawn Meals on Wheels, the Eltuek Arts Centre, Café Marie, New Dawn Properties, Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration, New Dawn Centre, and New Dawn Community Engagement.

All of its work is in service of building a more vibrant and self-reliant Unama’ki-Cape Breton Island.