Help! FIM scores..........................

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Help! I just got this new "promotion?" in my hospital and am in charge of all rehab. scores for reimbursement. This is such a challenge and would love to hear from those experienced...Only thing I can relate it to is doing MDS' for LTC. And well, we all know what FUN that is, huh?

Thanx.

Kyjule

:rolleyes:

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Do you have a 'cheat sheet' to go by? We use a scale....you know the ones where you answer yes or no??? If you answer yes, it takes you to another level...another yes or no....another level??

They should provide you with the information you need to do a good job and I'm sure you will. Good luck and Congrats!!

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Your new software for submission should run you thru the levels just like the MDS. We use a form "nursing data collection tool". It ask the question and beside the answer we check, it has the FIM score. Makes things alot easier. The C.N.A. or the nurse fills this out (who ever completes the ADLs with the pt.)

NOTE: we still have to complete the nurses notes but this form is great once you get used to it. You may want to try something similiar. Hang in there and congrats on the promotion

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Don't you love it! Our unit makes all the nurse be FIM certified. ( I have been for the last 7 years). We have to fim every shift in all categories. We have cheat sheets in a notebook in the nurses station but I am amazed at the different numbers every gets.

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Specializes in ICU, Hospice, Rehab.

I am the PPS case manager. I do all the FIMs training at our facility. UDS has gone to great lengths to put out all kinds of things from the tree to

verbal dialogue to rate FIMs. However, I have a simplified cheat sheet that seems to be very helpful and it has helped to bring our scores into alignment. We all need to be certified. Some basic info I ask our RNs to tuck into their head that has proven very helpful:

1. 2=1 (if it takes 2 helpers the score is 1)

2. If you touch the pt the score will be 4 or less

3. If you do 50% score 3

4. Tabs monitor = 1

5. Verbal cue or supervise = 5 or less

after that I go over the cheat sheet and we do several case studies. We just finished a certification class. All scores were >90%

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Specializes in ER,MATY,REHAB.

i have been working nights in rehab for 1 and half year,working as a charge and preceptor,i have a new LVN in my floor. we got confusion about FIM score.actually,its really confusing scoring patients fim score because pts are in bed most of the time at night,of course, we do some transfers to toilet and at least we can score bowel and bladder though.

when i was new orientee in rehab ..my preceptor told me that for foleys catheter,fim score for bladder is 1,and since then i have been scoring my pts with foleys catheter,but i noticed the LVN is scoring pts with catheter 6.i asked few experienced coworkers i got different answers from them.what i was thinking is pts with foleys catheter means total care in controlling bladder,since nurses and CNA does perineal care,emptying catheter,almost everything for pts in terms of urination, so,it should be 1 for them,why 6.i tried to find out the solution,the more i studied the more i got confused.....so i am looking for help..i am just wondering what the correct score for pts with foleys catheter should be,what is the correct definition of bladder and bowel accident?

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Specializes in CRRN.

Are you still doing FIMS?? I just became our PPS coordinator, and I, too have difficulty teaching some of the concepts, especially when percentages are involved. Any more hints?

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Specializes in CRRN.

patients with catheters are using an assistive device but are continent, therefore 6; this is the way we teach it.

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