Training & credentialing

Training and eligibility

To be qualified to use the FIM/WeeFIM tool, the first step is to be trained in the use of the instrument. Training must be provided by an AROC endorsed accredited Trainer and there are a number of options:

1. Attend an upcoming AROC Open Workshops conducted by Master Trainers. These are provided several times each year and are open to all individuals to attend.
2. Request an AROC Master Trainer FIM workshop at your site. These workshops can be requested if several people in your organisation/facility require training.
3. Have a FIM clinician accredited as a FIM Facility Trainer. Organisations that undertake regular training of their staff often have one of their FIM clinicians accredited as a FIM Facility Trainer to conduct in-house FIM workshops.

Once you have completed a FIM workshop, you then need to become credentialed, which means sitting and passing an examination. Credentialing lasts two years after which time you need to resit a FIM/WeeFIM examination to maintain your credentialing. Once every four years, you should complete FIM training. Please refer to our Credentialing and Re-credentialing tab for more details.

If you wish to become FIM credentialed for adult assessments, you are required to complete a FIM workshop and pass a FIM examination. If you wish to become WeeFIM credentialed for paediatric assessments, it’s required you complete a WeeFIM workshop and WeeFIM examination.

Are there any eligibility criteria for training?

AROC's policy is that training is available to Registered Nurses (RN), Enrolled Nurses (EN), Doctors, Registrars and Allied Health staff with an appropriate tertiary clinical qualification. Assistants in nursing (AIN) and allied health assistants are welcome to attend training sessions to increase their knowledge and understanding of the FIM, and so contribute to FIM scoring in a clinical setting, but they are not eligible or required to become credentialed.

A pass mark of 80% is required for credentialed status to be achieved. On attaining credentialing status you will be issued with a credentialing certificate. Credentialed status lasts for two years, after which candidates must sit a re-credentialing exam if they wish to remain accredited.

If you would like to complete the exam to become credentialed, or to be re-credentialed, please contact AROC.

Credentialing and re-credentialing

Once you complete a workshop to become credentialed as a FIM or WeeFIM clinician, you must complete and pass a credentialing FIM or WeeFIM examination with a score of ≥80%. After the workshop, you will be allocated a FIM ID. This is your unique identifier (like your registration number), which is needed to log into AOS (AROC’s Online System). You will need to access AOS if you wish to either sit your credentialing exam or purchase FIM products. Costs of FIM and WeeFIM products can be viewed in the Resources section.

Re-credential in FIM/WeeFIM

The method of re-credentialing is dependent on when you last attended a workshop and whether your accreditation has expired. FIM accreditation lasts two years. We urge FIM clinicians to purchase a FIM Exam every 2 years to remain credentialed. If credentialing is maintained, then every 4 years we recommend clinicians do a FIM Online Refresher (includes Exam) or attend a FIM workshop. It is best practise for clinicians to alternate between a refresher and workshop every 4 years, as it has been observed that FIM assessment quality decreases if re-training does not occur.

See below for cycle, flowchart and scenarios

1.  I have maintained my accreditation

8-Year Training Cycle: is relevant as long as you maintain your FIM/WeeFIM accreditation. Otherwise, refer to the below flow chart.

2.  My accreditation has expired:

Flow chart: is relevant if your FIM/WeeFIM accreditation has expired

3.  Understanding different accreditation scenarios:

• Scenario 1: If you have attended a workshop within the past 2 years and your accreditation is about to expire, you can simply purchase an Exam to regain your accreditation.
• Scenario 2: If it has been between 2 and 4 years since you attended a FIM workshop and your accreditation is about to expire, you can purchase an Online Refresher (includes an Exam) to regain your accreditation.
• Scenario 3: If you have attended a workshop in the past 4 years and your accreditation has expired:
• Less than 12 months - complete the Online Refresher with examination
• Longer than 12 months - attend a face to face FIM workshop and complete the examination
• Scenario 4: If you have not attended a workshop within the past 4 years, refer to the above flow chart.

If you are unsure, please contact FIM.

FIM / WeeFIM open workshops

FIM/WeeFIM Open workshops provide training to perform the adult FIM or paediatric WeeFIM assessment. New users of the FIM or WeeFIM instrument are required to attend a training workshop prior to attempting a credentialing exam.

Workshops provide education on how to score the instrument. The tool has been designed to be administered quickly and uniformly and has proved to be a valid and reliable measure. The FIM and WeeFIM instrument assesses self-care, sphincter control, transfers, locomotion, communication and social cognition on a seven-level scale. After training, to become credentialed, eligible participants are required to sit a credentialing examination. If they pass they will receive a credentialing certificate. Please refer to our workshop page for details regarding registering for a FIM or WeeFIM open workshop.

FIM Facility Trainer open workshops

The Facility Trainers workshop is designed to train eligible and currently credentialed FIM clinicians how to teach staff at their facility to use the FIM instrument. Clinicians will learn to teach FIM in an accurate and consistent way, ensuring the people they train score FIM accurately and consistently. In order to attend the Facility Trainer workshop, a candidate FIM clinician must have satisfied all the prerequisites for the trainer level of a Facility Trainer.

FIM workshop at your site conducted by an AROC Master Trainer

If a facility wishes to have an AROC Master Trainer conduct a FIM or WeeFIM workshop at their facility, the first step is to complete a workshop request form (pdf), providing possible dates and numbers. Workshop sizes can range from 2 – 20 participants). Completed forms should be sent to AROC, who can be contacted by email or telephone (02 4221 4411) should you have queries.  Once the “workshop request form” is received, AROC will contact you regarding more details. Workshop costs can be estimated using the below list:

• A standard weekday fee of $1500 + GST (for members of AROC)
• A standard weekday fee of $3000 + GST (for non-members of AROC)
• A standard weekend fee of $2100 + GST (for members of AROC)
• A standard weekend fee of $3400 + GST (for non-members of AROC)
• Travel costs, travel time and accommodation costs of the Master trainer
• Exams are $41 + GST each
• Manuals are $33 + GST each

A quote will be sent to your facility once a date is scheduled.

Virtual Training for your organisation

Virtual FIM or WeeFIM Training can be available for organizations who use the FIM or WeeFIM tool for the purposes of one-off functional assessments in a community setting (such as for NDIS or insurance purposes). If interested, please complete a Video Conference Training Request Form (pdf), providing possible dates and numbers. Virtual training Sessions are capped at 10 participants and the costs are the same as the estimated FIM Workshop costs (above).

There are two trainer levels - Facility Trainers and Master Trainers.

Facility Trainers

Facility trainers train staff within their (bricks and mortar) facility only, as part of their job description, in their normal paid time (i.e. not as an independent contractor). Facility Trainers cannot train staff from other facilities even if they are part of the same health service.

There are essentially 3 stages to becoming a FIM Facility Trainer:

1. Current Credentialing at ≥85% with 3yrs plus experience as credentialed FIM clinician (including the past 12 months

2. Attend a FIM workshop conducted by an AROC Master Trainer in 12 months preceding Trainer workshop

This is not to teach candidate Facility Trainers about FIM principles (it’s expected they should have a solid understanding of this already) but among other things it gives the candidate opportunity to observe an experienced trainer and better prepares them for the train the train FT workshop.

3. Attend the FIM Facility Trainer (train the trainer) workshop and successfully meet competencies

Criteria to become a Candidate Facility Trainer in the first place

• Have a current credentialing status
• Achieved ≥85% on the first attempt in most recent credentialing exam
• Have 3+ years experience in using the FIM tool as a credentialed FIM clinician, inclusive of the last 12 months (for the currency of practice)
• Trained in FIM by an AROC Master Trainer within the preceding 12 months of applying for the Facility Trainer workshop
• Attend FIM Facility Trainer workshop, be prepared to actively participate and present part of the workshop to other participants
• Have expertise and/or relevant experience in training others
• Be prepared to actively participate in the workshop, including presenting part of the workshop to other participants
• Supported by their employer to attend a Facility Trainer workshop
  • The employer is aware that training as a Facility Trainer equips them to present training workshops to internal staff regularly
  • Employer prepared to provide opportunities for the trainer to train
  • Expected to undertake training on their return within a three-month timeframe
• At AROC's discretion, there may be a requirement for the first post-training workshop to be co-trained with and evaluated by a Master Trainer prior to Facility Trainer status being awarded

Ongoing Requirements

FIM Facility Trainers must maintain their accreditation on two levels:

1. FIM accreditation – completing the FIM exam every 2 years with a score of at least ≥85%
2. Facility Trainer accreditation – as per the Ongoing Requirements below

To maintain their status, Facility Trainers will be regularly reviewed regarding the below criteria.  

• Trained at least one workshop per year at their facility
• Passed the exam with at least 85% at first attempt every two years
• Attended a Facility Trainer workshop conducted by an AROC Master Trainer at least every four years
• Ensure completion of feedback surveys by participants and addition of workshop attendance record to AOS after your workshop
• At completion of a workshop:
  
  • ensure participants complete the online feedback survey (QR code or survey link) and,
  • add a Workshop Attendance to participants AOS record in lieu of submitting attendance sheets to AROC.
• It is strongly recommended trainers:
  • dial into the FIM Facility Trainer Support Meetings for their state (generally held every 6 months)
  • attend a FIM workshop conducted by an AROC Master Trainer every 4 years when they attend the Facility Trainer workshop as a refresher

AROC recommends and teaches that FIM workshops should be conducted over at least a 6 hr period. Download more information about workshop duration (pdf).

Master Trainers

There are a limited number of Master Trainer positions. If a vacancy arises, AROC seeks expressions of interest from suitably qualified people to fill the vacancy. Master Trainers are independently contracted to AROC and train outside their facility for payment. Workshops they conduct within their own facility, are as a Facility Trainer in their normal paid time. Master Trainers train in all facilities (public and private) and they conduct both the workshops for clinicians and the Facility Trainer workshops.

Master Trainers have in-depth experience with the FIM instrument and with training others how to administer it.

To become a Master Trainer

• Invited by AROC to become a Master Trainer
• Trained in FIM or WeeFIM scoring by an AROC Master Trainer
• Achieve 90+% in the most recent credentialing exam
• Satisfactory completion of the Facility Trainer workshop
• Current credentialing status
• At least five years of experience using the FIM instrument
• At least three years as a Facility Trainer and/or evidence of training expertise and experience
• Positive review by a current Master Trainer against a set of standard competencies:
  • Knowledge of subject matter
  • Delivery of subject matter
  • Ability to handle questions
  • Active engagement of the audience
  • Effective listening skills
  • Confidence in presenting
  • Ability to adapt presentation style to the audience
  • Use of teaching strategies to facilitate discussion and learning
  • Contributes to a supportive, interactive learning environment

FIM™ and WeeFIM® are trademarks of the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation, a division of UB Foundation Activities, Inc.