For the past 30 years UW-Eau Claire Continuing Education has organized a free foot and nail care clinic for members of the community. Anyone who struggles with taking proper care of their feet or would like an assessment of their foot and nail health is welcome to attend.

The clinic is held twice per year, once in the fall and once in the spring. 

This spring, the clinic is taking place during the week of April 22-26 at the Grace Lutheran Church. It starts at 7:30 a.m. and goes until about 1:30 or 3:30 p.m. each day, according to Emily Trzinski, a third-year English education major and student assistant at Continuing Education.

“The event attracts hundreds of community members. Appointments are basically non-stop all day,” Trzinksi said. “The number of people who attend each clinic and ask when the next one will be held proves to us that this care is needed within our community.” 

Depending on the person and the level of care required, appointments usually last about 20-60 minutes. Nurses help to assess the person’s foot and nail health, focusing on areas that need to be cared for.

According to Trzinksi, this program reaches out to community members who are older, have issues with their foot or nail health and people who are diabetic. 

Avery Shanahan, the marketing specialist for Continuing Education, said she markets this event to nurses who wish to participate in the educational and clinical program and also advertises it to those who would like to receive foot and nail care.

“With an aging population and rising rates of diabetes, the demand for nurses trained in foot and nail care is increasing,” Shanahan said. “Formal nursing education often neglects this area of practice resulting in a shortage of professional foot and nail care experts.” 

A certified foot and nail care nurse supervises the clinic throughout the week. According to Shanahan, nurses begin the educational component in preparation of the event three months beforehand.

Appointment registration opened on April 8, about two weeks before the clinic started.

“Our department is all hands on deck at this time because we can get over 300 phone calls on the first-day registration opens,” Shanahan said. “We also supply the tools and supplies the nurses need to provide care during the clinic.”

Those who would like to schedule an appointment have until the last day of the clinic, April 26.

According to Shanahan, the clinic was created by Continuing Education to certify and provide knowledge to people who want to become skilled in foot and nail care as well as to serve the community’s needs.

“The few resources people have for this type of care often come at a cost,” Shanahan said. “We believe providing this care for free is important because it supports our community and provides educational practice for nurses looking to expand their skills in an underserved specialty.”

Students interested in participating in the clinic can fulfill their service learning requirement by helping with the preparations and volunteering with the check-in, according to Trzinski and Shanahan.

“We want as many people as we can to participate in the clinic to educate our nurses and provide happy and healthy feet to those who need some help,” Shanahan said.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment at the clinic this week, April 22-26, call Continuing Education at 715-836-3636.

Matczak can be reached at [email protected].