A pleasant surprise awaited Viterbo graduate nursing director Mary Ellen Stolder when she arrived at work one Monday morning early last spring.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook,” she was told by administrative assistant Bobbi Hundt.
Community members were calling to schedule an appointment at a free foot care clinic conducted by Viterbo Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students at the La Crosse Public Library. A notice advertising the clinic had been printed in the La Crosse Tribune that weekend.
Viterbo graduate nursing students hold foot care clinics each spring and fall in La Crosse (with plans to hold them quarterly in the future) and six times a year at Tomah Memorial Hospital in Tomah. The program is run by Stolder, with assistance from fellow Viterbo nursing practitioner faculty members LuAnn Fowler and Sherry Harris. They humorously refer to themselves as the “Sole Providers.”
“The clinics have been very well received in both communities,” said Stolder, who is a certified foot and nail care nurse.
At the most recent foot care clinic held in October at the La Crosse Public Library, 15 students served 70 clients in six hours. Clinics in Tomah are scheduled for eight hours. There is usually an extensive waiting list. Students are required to participate in two clinics, but often volunteer to do many more.
“The mission of the Viterbo graduate nursing program is to improve health outcomes of diverse populations through advanced knowledge and skills,” Stolder said. “That’s what we do as health care providers. This program also serves an important need by providing care to senior citizens and other vulnerable populations who might otherwise go without.”
The students provide the clients with a high level of nail and foot care using state-of-the-art surgical-type tools. They also do a feet health assessment and refer the clients to health care providers if necessary, which is excellent practice for future nurse practitioners, Stolder said.
The Tomah Memorial Hospital Foundation awarded the Viterbo foot care clinic program with a $2,500 grant, which is put toward the purchase and replacement of equipment. Tomah Memorial Hospital is very committed to the program, providing facilities, protective gear, and refreshments for both students and clients, Stolder said.
The program also received support from Bombas, which donated 1,000 pairs of socks for distribution to foot care clinic clients.
One of the Viterbo graduate students who has worked at four of the clinics is Cecilia Merrigan.
“I have found the experience to be rewarding in many ways,” said Merrigan, who works as an RN in an intensive care unit. “So often in health care, results can take some time to achieve or we do not even see them at all. It is gratifying on a personal level to see a client leave with improved health after only 30 minutes. What has been most rewarding however, is knowing we are helping fill a current void in health care from an accessibility and affordability standpoint. Certainly what we do at the clinic can be offered in an outpatient visit, but the people we see often do not have access to a provider that will do this type of care. Other people have access but do not have the funds to pay for these services.”
Merrigan even received a personal thank you note from one of the clients.
“I was touched that this participant would take the time to do that,” Merrigan said. “I am most happy that she had a positive experience that impacted her daily life.”
Fellow DNP student Heather Bartel is another four-time participant who finds the experience very worthwhile.
“It is such an important service to offer people who may not otherwise have an opportunity to receive foot care,” said Bartel, who is employed as a critical care nurse. “We possess the assessment skill set to safely provide care for these clients, and it is imperative to prevent things like foot sores and infections. There are certain situations, such as diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, for which they need to be referred to a medical professional. We also use this time as an opportunity to educate the clients about proper footwear so they can prevent callouses and falls. The clients particularly enjoy the foot massage at the end, which I think is so wonderful that we have the time to do that for them. I also think that both the volunteers and the recipients enjoy the conversations had while at the foot care clinic. I really enjoy sharing stories and hearing about their lives.”
Thank you letters, verbal expressions of gratitude, and offers of payment are regular occurrences. Payment is not accepted, but if someone insists they are encouraged to make a donation to the La Crosse Public Library or Tomah Memorial Hospital.
Stolder said she is very happy with the number of DNP students who repeatedly volunteer at these clinics.
“Maybe it’s the cookies I bake for them,” Stolder laughed. “Really, I think at heart nurses truly care about people and want to provide them with quality and compassionate care.”
Photo: Viterbo University nurse practitioner student Lindsay Vitse provides care at the Viterbo foot care clinic held at the La Crosse Public Library in October.