SBAR

Question 1

What does SBAR stand for?

Answer 1

Situation
Background
Assessment
Recommendation

Question 2

What do you include for the situation?

Answer 2

What is happening now?
Identify the specific situation and reason for communication

Question 3

What do you include for the background?

Answer 3

What were the circumstances leading up to this?

Reasons for the patient’s admission
Relevant past medical history
Details of recent operations/procedures, drug history, test results, relevant medications

Question 4

What do you include for the assessment?

Answer 4

What do I think the problem is?

Vital signs
Clinical impression
Care/treatments given and its effects

Current status of the patient/what you have already done for the patient

Question 5

What do you include for the recommendation?

Answer 5

What should we do to correct the problem?

Explain what you need
Make suggestions
Clarify expectations

Question 6

What is an important part of SBAR?

Answer 6

Read back any advice/information, specifically that given over the phone needs to be repeated back for accuracy