Nurses’ experience with chronic foot pain and their job-the national science foundation foot health survey

BACKGROUND: Chronic foot pain (CFP) impacts nurses’ ability to provide care at the bedside. Treatment options for CFP were insufficient to address foot pain for nurses who stand or walk for prolonged periods while providing care to patients. AIMS: This study aimed to explore nurses’ experience with CFP, current treatment options for foot pain, and the impact of foot pain on nurses’ job performance. METHODS: This is secondary data from Individual interviews (n = 122) involving open-ended questions. Data were collected between April 2019–September 2020 while attending the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program comprising faculty and students among others in the United States. Multiple linear regression and multinomial/binary logistic regressions were conducted to assess what factors were associated with the pain and pain relief solutions. RESULTS: Nurses who worked at the bedside predominantly switched jobs and reported higher levels of foot pain than those who did not switch jobs (β = 0.19, p = .044). Longer working hours (β = 0.35, p < .001) were associated with higher levels of pain. Nurses who worked longer time were more likely to purchase new work shoes and socks (OR = 1.177, p = .025) to alleviate foot pain than changing shoes only. CONCLUSIONS: Most nurses expressed interest in new products to relieve their CFP. Innovations are urgently needed to address CFP. Future longitudinal studies are required to further elucidate appropriate preventative strategies to prevent and treat CFP in nurses.