About
Cindy Lazenby, RN
Cindy Lazenby, founder of Foot Canada Training, lead author of Art and Science of Foot Care: A Clinical Resource for Nurses in Canada and lead developer of Foot Canada Training’s curriculum, has an extensive history of providing nursing foot care education and advocating for improvements in nursing foot care in Canada.
In addition to being a Registered Nurse since 1981, a Foot Care Nurse provider and Educator since 1993, she is currently Foot Canada Training’s Education Advisor. Since 1993, Cindy and her associates have trained over 4500 Foot Care Nurses and over 2 dozen Educators across the country. In 2016, Cindy’s passion to transfer her knowledge to other nurses and educators, was the driving force for opening access to Foot Canada Training’s standardized and peer-reviewed curriculum to Foot Care Nurse Educators, health agencies, community colleges, universities in Canada.
In 2010, Cindy was a founding contributor and the first Chair of the CAFCN (Canadian Association of Foot Care Nurses), which aims to standardize best clinical and educational practices across the nation, and has held numerous other volunteer committee positions.
Aside from being accused of being “obsessed with feet” since 1991 by some of her friends and family, there are 4 important aspects of her life that give her a constant stream of joy: family, community, nature and health & wellness.
Education
Sciences
- 2 years of sciences: University of Guelph (1977 – 1979)
Nursing
- Diploma: Conestoga College, Guelph (1979 – 1981)
Initial Training
- Certificate: Basic, Advanced and Diabetic (~40 hrs) with Dr. George Merry and Lynn Rutherford (1990 – 1993)
- Clinical training: 4 months (~100 hrs) with Dr. George Merry (1993)
Curriculum development
Lead curriculum developer for Foot Canada Training’s (formerly Foot Care Kingston):
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- Foot Care Nurse (FCN) Online Theory (2007 – present)
- FCN Onsite Clinical (2007-present)
- FCN Online & Onsite Educator course (2007-2014)
- FCN Onsite Clinical Refresher (2015 – present)
- Advanced FCN Skills Workshops (2018 -present)
- Co-lead and peer-reviewer for Foot Canada Training’s revised online FCN Preceptor and FCN Educator courses (2017-present)
- Lead Author of “Art & Science of Foot Care: A Clinical Resource for Nurses in Canada”. 2nd Edition 2017.
Foot Care
Most recent continuing education:
- Clinical FCN Refresher / Peer-Review (2019)
- Certificate of Completion: Foot Canada Training Foot Care Nurse – Part 1 Theory(revised with CAFCN’s competency guidelines) (2017)
- Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS) webinar series for Educators (2017 – present)
Wound Care
- Certificate: Canadian Association of Wound Care, S1 and S2 (2003)
- Clinical training: with Dr. Iman Bayoumi and Maureen Bucchanan (2004 – 2005)
- Research only: International Interdisciplinary Wound Care, U. of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine (2005 – 2006)
Orthotics
- Certificate: Basic and Advanced, The Orthotic Group (2002)
- Clinical training: with physiotherapists (2002 – 2004)
- Certificate: Advanced Foot Biomechanics, The Orthotic Group (2008)
Nursing Employment
- Staff Nurse and Administration in NS, NB and ON (1981 – 1999)
- Home Foot Care Community Nursing Services Kingston ON (owner) (1993 – 1999)
- Hospice Kingston, Palliative Care Nurse Consultant (1994-1998)
- Amherstview Therapy Clinic (owner) (1999 – 2004)
- Foot Care Kingston (owner) (2004 – 2019)
- Primary Care Nurse with Health for Life Medical Centre (2006 – 2012)
- Foot Care Nurse with Health for Life Medical Centre (2006 – 2013)
- Set up new Foot Care clinic, Kingston Community Health Center (Napanee site) (2014)
- Foot Canada Training (owner, President) (2019 – 2022)
Foot Care Educator
- Clinical facilitator with Dr. George Merry/Lynn Rutherford (1993 – 1997)
- Development of course curriculum and training aids (1996 – present)
- Coordinator/Educator Foot Care Nurse Training (1996 – present)
- Advanced and Diabetic Nursing Foot Care Presenter (2004 – present)
- St. Lawrence College, Foot Care Nurse Program Coordinator (2006 – 2010)
- Preceptor for Nursing and Health Science Graduate Students (2006 – 2010)
- Foot Care Nurse Educator Program Coordinator and Co-Educator (2006 – present)
- Research Paper: Reducing Complications for Persons with Diabetes (2007)
- Aurora College, Yellowknife NT, Foot Care Nurse course (2011)
- Foot Care Nurse Webinars (development and deliver), Foot Canada Training (2011 – present)
- Diabetes Management Center (Mississauga Hospital), Foot Care Nurse Educator Consultant (2013)
- Stanton Health Authority, Yellowknife NT, Foot Care Nurse program (2014)
- Infection and Prevention Control workshops, CAFCN conferences in Vancouver, BC (2013) and Halifax, NS (2014)
- Infection and Prevention Control “What’s New in Foot Care” presentation for IPAC Canada conferences in Halifax (2014)
- Diabetes Canada’s Policy Summit (invited delegate) held in Toronto, ON (2014)
- Feet for Life – 3 day health care interdisciplinary team workshops for First Nations in Thunder Bay and Toronto, ON, funded by Health Canada (2015)
- “Foot and Ankle Conditioning” presentation CAFCN conference in Montreal, QC (2016)
- Foot Care Nurse Courses (Part 1 & Part 2) – funded by the South East Ontario Local Health Integrated Network in Kingston, ON (2016 & 2017)
- “Falls Prevention for Seniors” presentation Devon Foot Care conference in Calgary, AB (2017)
- “The Role of Education in Preventing Lower Leg Complications” presentation CAFCN conference in Regina SK (2018)
- Foot Care Nurse course (FCN Part 2 – Clinical) Lead Educator in Kitimat, BC (2018)
- Foot Canada Training’s Nurse Educator Consultant for the Advanced Nursing Skills Workshops and Conference in Thunder Bay, ON (2019)
- Foot Care Nurse course (FCN Clinical) Lead Educator in Nelson, BC (2019)
- “Remote Learning Opportunities for Foot Care Nursing Education in Canada during COVID-19”, co-presentor with Soft Sole at virtual IPAC Canada conference. Published in 2021 Oral and Poster Presentations Abstract Summaries; A Supplemental to the Canadian Journal of Infection Control, Spring 2021, Volume 36, No.1. (May 5, 2021)
- “Business Plan Development Workshop” co-presentor with Soft Sole at CAFCN virtual conference (May 21, 2021)
- “Foot Screening and Early Identification and Referral of Diabetes Foot Complications; Early Signs of Venous and Arterial Insufficiency”, co-presentor with Alberta Health Services, Diabetes Foot Care Clinical Pathways, at Calgary Pan PCN Meeting (June 17, 2021)
- “Best Practices of Virtual Care” presentation at the CAFCN virtual Conference (May 27, 2022)
Healthcare Educator & Professional Roles
- CPR & First Aid Certified Instructor (1993 – 2004)
- Palliative Care and Pain Management (1994 – 1998)
- Queen’s School of Rehab, Guest Lecturer (1996)
- Loyalist Community College, Guest Lecturer (2005)
- Private Practice / Entrepreneurship (2002 – present)
- Chronic Diseases (2008 – 2012)
- Senior Fitness Instructor training (2017)
- “Pathways to Health Entrepreneurship” presentation at the Quantum LEAP virtual Conference, Nelson BC (March 8, 2022)
- Recognized Peer-Reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Diabetes (2022 – present)
Current Memberships
- Registered Nurse:
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- British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwifes member (2018-present)
- Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia member (2018 – present)
- Canadian Nurses Association member (1993 – 2019, 2021- present)
- Canadian Nurses Protective Society member (CNPS) (2005 – present)
- Nursing Business Solutions member (formerly CNPS Plus – BMS Group) member (2005 – present)
- Canadian Association of Foot Care Nurses (CAFCN):
- Nominating Committee (2021-2023)
- member (2010 – present)
- Education Committee member (2018 – present -Note: no active project 2020 – present)
- A Prescription for Nature (PaRx) member (2020 – present)
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Chamber of Commerce Member – Nelson BC
Past Memberships
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- Registered Nurse Registrations:
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- College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), registered member (1981; 1989 – 2018)
- College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia member (CRNNS) (1981 – 1984)
- Nurses Association of New Brunswick member (NANB) (1984 – 1989)
- Registered Nurses Association of Northwest Territories and Nunavut (RNANTNU) member (2014)
- Nursing Associations:
- Canadian Association of Foot Care Nurses (CAFCN):
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- Founding Chair formerly Foot Care Canada) (2007-2010)
- Past President (2010)
- Education committee (2010)
- Ontario Provincial co-Advisor (2012-2015)
- AdHoc Reprocessing of Foot Care Instrument committee (2014- 2015)
- AdHoc Membership committee (2014 – 2015)
- 1st Chair Nominating committee (2017-2019)
- Provincial Advisor for BC (2021-2023)
- Diabetes Canada – Professional membership & Foot Care Special Interest Group (2020 – 2021)
- Wounds Canada – Professional membership (2020 – 2021)
- IPAC Canada – IPAC BC Chapter – Reprocessing Specialty Interest Group member (2020 – 2021)
- Canadian Academy of Nursing Group member (2021)
- Registered Nurses Association of Ontario member (RNAO) (1993 – 2015)
- Gerontological Nurses Association (GNA) member and Education Chair (1993 – 2004)
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- Community Services:
- CIPC (police check) certificate (1998; 2014 – 2018)
- CPR Health Care Professional certificate (2004 to 2019)
- Big Sisters Organization, Big Sister, Guelph Ontario (1979- 1981)