SBAR Explanation and Guide (2023)

SBAR Explanation and Guide (2023)

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What is SBAR?‍

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SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) is commonly used within healthcare environments to communicate a patient’s condition effectively to promote the best outcomes possible.

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What Does SBAR Stand For?

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‍✔ S - Situation (concise summary of situation)

✔ B - Background (relevant information about past history or other related information)

✔ A - Assessment (description of symptoms, vitals, and other findings and thoughts)

✔ R - Recommendation (recommended action or treatment method)

SBAR communication is the standard for communicating patient information.
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‍Importance of SBAR Reports

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The purpose of the SBAR is it improves clarity and efficiency of communication in healthcare, which improves patient outcomes.

Nearly 79% of nurses find it useful, especially in shift handover.

It provides a consistent, clear framework to improve outcomes and is even aligned with the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals.

This framework helps greatly in cutting out the fluff of a regular conversation and getting across the important details.

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When to Use The SBAR Technique

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‍SBAR should be used in any situation where efficient communication is needed to ensure the best result for the patient.

A few examples include:

✔ When a patient is transferred units or providers

✔ During emergency situations

✔ When a patient's condition changes and you need to raise concern

✔ During team meetings

✔ In reports created for colleagues, supervisors, or any healthcare provider‍

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Guide on SBAR Approach

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Before communicating the situation, you should ensure you have reviewed the patients charts and have assessed them and their relevant records.

During communication, it is common for questions to come up - so it is best to be prepared so you can readily deliver all relevant information.

Situation: Create a clear and concise summary of the patient’s situation. This should include your name, unit, room number, and patient complaints.

Example:

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“Hi Dr. Atticus, This is Samantha with the ICU unit. We are in room 237. Kevin has terrible stomach pain and appears to be showing jaundice”

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Background: Provide all relevant information such as past diagnoses, history, medications they are taking, what habits they have, which medical members are helping with this patient, and any other relevant information regarding the scenario.

Example: The patient was admitted into ICU with acute liver failure on 1/19/2023. Kevin has no medications, past diagnoses, or alcohol consumption, and appeared to be very healthy up to this point. He is allergic to peanuts.

Assessment: Based on the information at hand, assess the situation to the best of your ability. What do you think is going on and what are your current findings?

Example: Kevin may be experiencing acute liver failure. His skin and eyes have extreme jaundice and he lacks appetite

Recommendations: Clearly state what you think should be the following steps in addressing the patient’s needs. What is the suggested action and timeframe? This can range from please check in with the patient to we need to place them in the ICU immediately.

Example: We should perform a liver biopsy as soon as possible, before the end of tomorrow is crucial.‍

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SBAR Example Scenarios

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‍Example 1:

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✔ Situation:

Hi, Dr. Franky. This is Nancy the Nurse from Unit B room 199. I just had a patient come in named Donna experiencing extreme lower stomach pain which has escalated more everyday. It started last week.

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‍✔ Background:
Donna is a 58 year old female who had back surgery 2 weeks ago and has been prescribed Percocet to manage the pain. Donna disclosed she has not had a bowel movement.

✔ Assessment:
Donna is likely constipated as a result of her medication based on stomach pain and lack of bowel movements. This problem has never occurred aside from her current medication.

✔ Recommendation:
I’d like to get Donna off of her current medication and replace it with a topical remedy. We should encourage Donna to drink more fluids and offer a stool softener like docusate sodium.

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Example 2:

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✔ Situation: 

Hi Nurse Johnny, This is Dr. Patrick with Lovely Solutions Care’s ICU unit room number 47. Mrs. Johnson came in with extreme dry mouth, fatigue, and thirst.

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‍✔ Background: 
‍Mrs. Johnson is a 44 year old female with a history of diabetes and her hyperglycemia level is 184 mg/dL. She has not followed her diet the past 6 days.

✔ Assessment:
‍Mrs. Johnson is likely experiencing symptoms related to her elevated hyperglycemia levels.

✔ Recommendation:
‍We should recommend a clear and strict diet until numbers return to normal and offer metformin as a temporary solution for the next 3 days.

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Good Words to Use

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‍The goal of an SBAR is to correctly and clearly communicate your patient’s situation. In order to do so, you should use appropriate words given the situation at hand.

For example, if this is a more urgent situation - it would make sense to use words like urgent, crucial, need, immediately, and other words that would convey such urgency.

Other great phrases to use include words which convey timeframe, severity, importance, and more.

Remember, the whole point of this framework is to improve patient outcomes, so using appropriate words and phrases is everything.

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‍Don’t speed-run your SBAR

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‍Instead, carefully consider the problem at hand and what information could be useful. Be as brief, relevant, and conclusive as possible.

Organize any information or results that your colleagues may find relevant including lab results, medical records, vital signs, etc. Do not feel obligated to make a recommendation if you do not have a good
idea about addressing the situation.

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Use a SBAR Template or Tool if Necessary:

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‍Using a template can ensure you cover all the necessary information within your SBAR. Many units will supply a template but if yours does not:

You can view more templates that may fit your needs by clicking here‍

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Who Does SBAR Apply to

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‍It is a great tool for all healthcare professionals in any patient scenario
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Some examples include:
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✔ Physicians

✔ Nurses

✔ Paramedics

✔ Pharmacies

✔ Assistants

✔ Each of the above communicating with each other & more

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Video Explanation:

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‍This video focuses on the nurse to physician communication using SBAR. The host is Nurse Sarah who is a registered nurse and she explains the topic very well.

In the video below she explains the importance and relevance, when it is practical, how to prepare for the conversation, along with many pro tips from her real life experiences:

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