What does sbar stands for?

Quick, efficient, and clear communication from and between healthcare professionals is integral to treating and caring for patients. SBAR is an effective and easy-to-use communication tool that divides patient status points to be conveyed into categories.  

The use of the standardized technique is particularly helpful for nurses, who can use it to organize their thoughts and break vital information into segments that describe the,

  • S - Situation
  • B - Background
  • A - Assessment
  • R - Recommendation

By incorporating the SBAR framework into your mindset and practice, you provide yourself and those with whom you are communicating a concise and easily accessible summary of:

  • What is happening with a patient
  • What led up to the current situation
  • Your professional assessment of the patient’s condition
  • What you think should happen next

SBAR focuses on what is most relevant, eliminating extraneous detail. It is always helpful, but particularly so in emergent and high-stress situations where minimizing frustration and maximizing clarity is essential. 

What Is SBAR Used For?  

SBAR can be used to communicate information between healthcare professionals, i.e., from nurse to physician or allied healthcare professional, as well as when relaying information to a patient or their caregivers.  

It is commonly used during shift change between nurses as well as when transferring a patient to other units. 

  • For example, a nurse will use SBAR when a patient is being transferred to a higher (med-surg to ICU) or lower level of care (ICU to med-surg) Additionally, during a code event, SBAR can be helpful in delivering concise and relevant information.  
  • SBAR communication is broken down into defined categories that stress concise language.  Every important point is included in a simple and straightforward way that saves time, reduces the need for questions, and improves understanding.   

SBAR is particularly effective for emergent situations, but is also useful when:

  • A patient is first being admitted
  • When a patient is being transferred from one care unit or team to another
  • When a new nursing shift arrives and needs to be apprised of a patient’s condition
  • For updating the patient or their family members about their current status and care plan

What Does SBAR Stand For?

 
SBAR emphasizes observation, critical thinking, decision-making, and communication. The acronym stands for: 

• S = Situation    


A brief description and summary of who the patient is and what is happening with them. It may include the patient’s name, age, room number or care unit, as well as who you are and the role you play in the patient’s care. 

• B = Background     


Brief synopsis of the patient’s history. This may include date and time of admission, admitting diagnosis, lab and diagnostic test results, and changes in status. 

• A = Assessment     


Professional nursing opinion of what is happening. 

• R = Recommendation 


Professional nursing recommendations for the next steps based on your knowledge of the patient, your assessment of their status, and all relevant data.

How to Use SBAR for Communication  

There are many templates available to guide you through the use of SBAR, but committing the easy-to-remember organizational framework to memory will help you standardize its use for communicating about your patients.  SBAR helps you prioritize and organize what is most critical about each individual patient’s situation, regardless of whether you are explaining it in person, on the phone, or in writing. Its use ensures that the most vital information is relayed quickly so that appropriate action can be taken.  

The most important things for you to remember when using SBAR are:

  • Keep all points relevant
  • Keep all points concise
  • Eliminate unnecessary information 

The information conveyed via SBAR is meant to be comprehensive, but not overly detailed. It may invite additional questions that you should be prepared to answer, but even without those questions being asked should serve to provide enough information for another healthcare professional to move forward.  It’s also important to note that the recommendations may include medical interventions (such as medication recommendations, radiology, or lab draws) but ultimately it is up to the medical provider to place orders for the patient and determine the next steps.  

Nurses are often asked for their professional recommendations because they spend the most time with the patient and might be picking up on subtle cues from the patient.

SBAR Examples 

Example #1:

Emergency nurse using SBAR framework regarding a pediatric patient admitted with vomiting and abdominal pain 

Here is how the nurse would quickly provide information to the pediatrician:  

S (Situation): Dr. Smith, this is Lynne in the Emergency Department Five-year-old Julia Baker was brought to the E.R. by her father two hours ago complaining of abdominal pain and experiencing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. I would like to update you on her condition and clarify orders. 

 

B (Background): Julia’s father reports that complaints of abdominal pain started this morning and she refused food. Since being admitted her pain has gotten worse (now rated as an 8 out of 10)  and is now radiating to the right lower quadrant. Oral fluids were ordered and her fever is 103.2 F orally.  


A (Assessment): Julia looks pale, is febrile, and is experiencing increased pain, vomiting, and diarrhea since her time of admission.  

R (Recommendation): I believe that Julia should be given intravenous fluids and that an ultrasound should be considered in order to determine whether she has appendicitis.

Example #2:

Evening nurse using SBAR report to convey information to morning shift nurse regarding patient admitted from nursing home  

S (Situation): Mr. Goldring is an 83-year-old male in room 212, admitted last night at 23:20. Arrived via ambulance from Woods Manor North Nursing Home where he reportedly fell out of bed. 

 

B (Background): Mr. Goldring is diabetic and has mild dementia. All of his supporting documentation has been entered into his chart, including a DNR. Family was notified of the fall by the nursing home and I contacted his daughter with an update shortly after she was admitted. Expect family to arrive this morning to meet with physician. 

 

A (Assessment): Diagnostic X-rays reveal hip fracture, physical examination shows bruising on thigh, skin intact. Patient reports mild pain, morphine administered at 01:00 by ER staff.  

 

R (Recommendation): Physician consultation with surgeon scheduled for this morning. Continue monitoring for pain, follow-up with surgeon regarding next steps.

History of SBAR  

Though SBAR is a healthcare communication tool, its roots lie in the U.S. military. 

Before Doug Bonacum joined Kaiser Permanente’s environmental health and safety department, he was a part of the U.S. Navy’s submarine force. While on active duty he used a communication technique he referred to as SBAR to succinctly describe and assess mission-critical information up and down throughout the hierarchy.  

Years later when he joined Kaiser, he encountered,

  • Physicians and nurses complaining about poor communications 

  • Physicians complaining about nurses rambling 

  • Nurses complaining that physicians were not following their recommendations

He recognized that the structured format that had proven successful for the military would also help both the receivers and transmitters of patient information, as well as the patient. 

Now Vice President of Safety Management at Kaiser Permanente, he points to the need for the healthcare hierarchy to be “flattened” in the interest of patient safety, and credits SBAR for accomplishing that goal. 

Takeaways  

  • SBAR is an easy-to-remember acronym that helps healthcare professionals communicate quickly, efficiently, and effectively. 

  • When nurses use SBAR, it leverages their experience, their skill, and their critical thinking ability to both assess and make recommendations. 

  • SBAR introduces structure and discipline to healthcare communications.

*This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.

1Department of Nursing, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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2Department of Radiation Oncology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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3Department of Biostatistics, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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4Leelabai Thackersey College of Nursing, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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1Department of Nursing, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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5Department of Medical Oncology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Find articles by Navin Khattry

1Department of Nursing, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

2Department of Radiation Oncology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

3Department of Biostatistics, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

4Leelabai Thackersey College of Nursing, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

5Department of Medical Oncology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Corresponding author: Meera S. Achrekar Professor, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) Tata Memorial Centre Address: Sector 22, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410210, Maharashtra, India Tel: +919769993848 E-mail: ni.vog.certca@rakerhcam

Received 2016 Jan 11; Accepted 2016 Jan 24.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

The aim of the study was to introduce and evaluate the compliance to documentation of situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) form.

Twenty nurses involved in active bedside care were selected by simple random sampling. Use of SBAR was illustrated thru self-instructional module (SIM). Content validity and reliability were established. The situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) form was disseminated for use in a clinical setting during shift handover. A retrospective audit was undertaken at 1st week (A1) and 16th week (A2), post introduction of SIM. Nurse's opinion about the SBAR form was also captured.

Majority of nurses were females (65%) in the age group 21-30 years (80%). There was a significant association (P = 0.019) between overall audit scores and graduate nurses. Significant improvement (P = 0.043) seen in overall scores between A1 (mean: 23.20) and A2 (mean: 24.26) and also in “Situation” domain (P = 0.045) as compared to other domains. There was only a marginal improvement in documentation related to patient's allergies and relevant past history (7%) while identifying comorbidities decreased by 40%. Only 70% of nurses had documented plan of care. Most (76%) of nurses expressed that SBAR form was useful, but 24% nurses felt SBAR documentation was time-consuming. The assessment was easy (53%) to document while recommendation was the difficult (53%) part.

SBAR technique has helped nurses to have a focused and easy communication during transition of care during handover. Importance and relevance of capturing information need to be reinforced. An audit to look for reduced number of incidents related to communication failures is essential for long-term evaluation of patient outcomes. Use of standardized SBAR in nursing practice for bedside shift handover will improve communication between nurses and thus ensure patient safety.

Keywords: Nurses, situation, background, assessment, recommendation, shift handover

What does sbar stands for?

All patients have a right to effective care at all times. Patients admitted to health care setting are treated by a number of health care personnels. Communication between health care personnel accounts for a major part of the information flow in health care, and growing evidence indicates that errors in communication give rise to substantial clinical morbidity and mortality.[1] One of the risk factors leading to communication breakdowns during transition of care is a lack of standardized procedures in conducting successful handoffs, for example, use of the situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR).[2] Studies indicate that use of structured handoffs will improve the quality of patient handover.[3,4,5] Hands off is the transfer of responsibility and accountability of a patient, from one nurse to another[6] either during shift handover or transfers of the patient from one department to the other.

SBAR was introduced by rapid response teams at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado in 2002, to investigate patient safety. It is an acronym for SBAR; a technique that can be used to facilitate prompt and appropriate communication. This communication model has gained popularity in healthcare settings, especially among professionals such as nursing staff. It is a way for health care professionals to communicate effectively with one another, and also allows for important information to be transferred accurately. The format of SBAR allows for the short, organized and predictable flow of information between professionals.[7] The main purpose of SBAR technique is to improve the effectiveness of communication through standardization of communication process.

Nurses often take more of a narrative and descriptive approach to explain a situation, while physicians usually want to hear only main aspects of a situation. The SBAR technique closes the gap between these two approaches allowing communicators to understand each other better. It includes a summary of the patient's current medical status, recent changes in condition, potential changes to watch for, resuscitation status, recent laboratory values, allergies, problem list, and a to-do list for the incoming nurse. It is specially used for communication between a physician and a nurse when there is a change in patient condition or between a nurse and nurse during patients shift to a new department or during shift change. It is a technique used to deliver quality patient care. It is a skill that can be learned.[8]

Published evidence shows that SBAR provides effective and efficient communication, thereby promoting better patient outcomes.[9] SBAR communication method is an evidence-based strategy for improving not only interprofessional communication, but all communication[10] especially when combined with good assessment skills, clinical judgment, and critical-thinking skills. Nursing documentation must describe patient's ongoing status from shift to shift with records of all nursing interventions.[9] In India, no such data was available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to introduce and evaluate the compliance to effective use of SBAR form during nurses’ handover in a tertiary care cancer center.

Data for this study were drawn from a larger research study. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the institutional review board. Of the 113 nurses in the larger study, 20 nurses involved in active bedside care were selected by simple random sampling using research randomizer software. A self-instructional module (SIM) on clinical communication skill for nurses (used in the larger study) incorporated the SBAR format in which information and use of SBAR was illustrated. The content validity of the format was established by giving it to clinical and nursing experts. The SBAR form was disseminated for use in clinical setting for hands off during shift handover.

Inter-rater reliability of the audit checklist was established using the kappa statistic to determine consistency among raters (κ = 0.91, P < 0.001). A retrospective audit was undertaken at 1st week (referred to as A1) and 16th week (referred to as A2) respectively, post introduction of SIM. Items in the audit checklist were scored as “1” for yes and “0” for no and “9” if not applicable. Though 100% compliance would be considered as excellent, a benchmark of 80% and above was considered as acceptable. The audit checklist had 29 items in four areas. The number of items under each domain was a situation (10), background (7), assessment (7), and recommendation (5). The content of the SBAR format was verified with clinical record of the patient. Nurses opinion about the SBAR form was captured using a three point (i.e., not at all, somewhat and very much) Likert scale having seven items and three multiple choice questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (nonparametric test: Wilcoxon signed rank test).

The study included 20 nurses in the first audit and 19 nurses in the second audit. The survey on nurse's opinion was completed by 17 nurses.

There were 6 (30%) males and 14 (70%) female nurses. Majority (80%) of nurses were in age group 21-30 years. There was an equal representation of qualifications, i.e., nurses who had a diploma or a degree in nursing. Nearly, two-third (60%) of them had <5 years of experience. SBAR score was correlated with demographic variables. A statistically significant association (P = 0.019) was seen between overall audit scores and education/qualification. Nurses who were certified with a graduate degree showed a better score as compared to nurses who held a diploma in nursing [Table 1].

Demographic variables of nurses

Demographic variableFrequency (%)
Gender
 Male6 (30)
 Female14 (70)
Age in years
 21-3016 (80)
 31-404 (20)
Education
 Diploma in nursing10 (50)
 Degree in nursing10 (50)
Experience in years
 0-512 (60)
 6-106 (30)
 11-151 (5)
 16-201 (5)

Compliance to SBAR documentation was audited at 2 times points A1 (first audit in 1st week) and A2 (second audit in 16th week). There was an absolute difference of 4% between A1 and A2, valid percent score was A1 (mean: 82, range: 61-96) and A2 (mean: 86, range: 70-96). There was a significant improvement (P = 0.043) in overall scores between A1 (mean: 23.20, standard deviation [SD]: 2.96) and A2 (mean: 24.26, SD: 2.20). This difference may be due to the routine use of the form. When analyzed further into different domains of SBAR, a significant improvement was seen in “Situation” domain (P = 0.045) as compared to other domains. The difference can be attributed to simplicity and objectivity of the content in situation domain.

During A1, only 45% (n = 20) of the nurses in the study group had documented the age of patient while it was 79% (n = 19) in A2. Item, wise comparison of A1 and A2, was carried out using McNemar test. Out of seven items in this domain, there was a significant difference in one item only, i.e., documentation of age (P = 0.039). There was only a marginal improvement (A1-40%, A2-47%) in documentation related to patient's allergies and relevant past history while identifying comorbidities decreased from 45% in A1 to 5% in A2 [Table 2].

Distribution of nurses based on observation of situation component of situation, background, assessment, recommendation

ItemsA1 (n = 20) (%)A2 (n = 19) (%)
Patients name20 (100)19 (100)
Unit17 (85)18 (95)
Age9 (45)15 (79)
Register number17 (85)19 (100)
Date of admission9 (45)10 (53)
Diagnosis16 (80)15 (79)
Surgery*8 (73)11 (100)
Allergies8 (40)9 (47)
Relevant past history4 (20)8 (42)
Comorbidities9 (45)1 (5)

Though 95% compliance was seen in most of the items under “Situation” in both audits, important information like the current treatment of patient (e.g., antiepileptic, or withhold tablet amlodipine, injection 5 fluorouracil is on continuous infusion and patient is on injection clexane) was not documented. Injection clexane is a high alert drug and requires nursing assessment and observation for bleeding, petechiae, hematuria, and black tarry stools. Transmission of this information is essential for patient care and safety [Table 3].

Distribution of nurses based on observation of background component of situation, background, assessment, recommendation

ItemsA1 (n = 20) (%)A2 (n = 19) (%)
Medications, blood products19 (95)18 (95)
Urine19 (95)19 (100)
Bowel19 (95)18 (95)
Mobility19 (95)19 (100)
Diet19 (95)19 (100)
Lines19 (95)19 (100)
Intravenous fluids on flow19 (95)18 (95)

There was almost 100% compliance in most of the items under the “Assessment” category in both audits. An area that needed to be focused on in A1 was pain score, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score and fall risk as the compliance was 85%. Pain is considered to be a fifth vital sign and as a routine 4 hourly assessments is carried out. The area where nurses do not pay much attention is on GCS and fall risk assessment. Both these areas are important especially in an oncology unit, where patients may have neurological problems, are in older age group and are on medications for comorbidities, and thereby prone to electrolyte imbalance or have gastrointestinal disturbances. In A2, the compliance was 100% [Table 4].

Distribution of nurses based on observation of assessment component of situation, background, assessment, recommendation

ItemsA1 (n = 20) (%)A2 (n = 19) (%)
Airway20 (100)19 (100)
Breathing20 (100)19 (100)
Skin20 (100)19 (100)
Vital signs20 (100)17 (89)
Difficulty in communication19 (95)19 (100)
Is there a drains11 (92)10 (91)
Pain score/Glasgow coma scale score/fall risk17 (85)19 (100)

Compliance was around 90% in most of the area of recommendation. Though there was around 85-95% compliance related to investigation and reports, in some of the patient files that were sampled, the information related to pending reports such as those pertaining to serum electrolytes, calcium, or urine was not documented. Referrals for physiotherapy, psychiatry, and dietician reference were also not captured in approximately 90% of forms. One area which needed improvement was in plan of care. Only about 70% of the nurses had documented the plan of care. Information related to 4 hourly mouth care, watch for the motor deficit, neurological monitoring, incentive spirometry, observation for bleeding, discharge plan, care of tracheostomy tube, pressure points, and use of thromboembolic deterrent stocking was not incorporated in plan of care. This may be due to lack of clarity about information to be documented [Table 5].

Distribution of nurses based on observation of recommendation component of situation, background, assessment, recommendation

ItemsA1 (n = 20) (%)A2 (n = 19) (%)
Any investigation/reports pending17 (85)18 (95)
Have the critical results intimated20 (100)19 (100)
Any referrals19 (95)17 (89)
Any special orders17 (85)16 (84)
Plan of care14 (70)14 (74)

Most (79%) of the nurses expressed that they found the SBAR form for shift handover very useful. This was consistent with a study by Velji et al. nurses reported use of SBAR helped them to “organize their thinking” and streamline data.[4]

They also opined that all information relevant to patient care was only somewhat (68%) captured, and 63% of nurses felt that it will improve patient safety. The contents were not at all difficult for 74% of nurses. Only 53% of nurses felt that patient involvement in documenting information in SBAR was very much necessary [Figure 2].

It was interesting to note that though majority (68%) of the nurses expressed that they completed the documentation in 5-10 min, 21% nurses felt filling SBAR form was very much time consuming, while 42-37% expressed somewhat and not at all, respectively. They also opined that Assessment was easy (47%) to document while recommendation was the difficult (47%) part [Figure 3].

This study aimed to examine the introduction of SBAR into nursing practice using a self-instructional method. Currently, use of SBAR is not prevalent in hospitals across India. With the advent to accreditation concept in India, where the focus is on patient safety, it has become essential for nurses to excel in the work they undertake. Handover of the patient being an important area where information of the patient is transferred from one shift to another. The SBAR has been tested in Western countries and have been a part of standard care. It was unclear whether or not the SBAR tool would be commensurate with the needs of Indian nurses.

The findings suggest that introduction of a standardized handover tool like SBAR helped nurses to capture all relevant information pertaining to the patient. It is noted that in many instances important clinical findings were not documented. Laws and Amato, in his review, found reports of inconsistency between information provided and the actual status of the patient.[11] Miller et al., in his study also suggested that nurses need to recognize and identify important clinical cues and act promptly to ensure patient safety.[12] Around 21% nurses felt SBAR form documentation as time-consuming. This was also brought forth by Renz et al. where 28% of nurses responded that SBAR tool was time-consuming.[13] It can be seen that only 53% of nurses felt patient involvement in documenting information and plan of care was necessary.

Patient's involvement is crucial as it provides them with an opportunity to ask questions, clarify, and share information which makes them less anxious, more compliant with the plan of care and more satisfied because they know what things are being monitored throughout the shift.[11] One area which needs improvement is in the documenting plan of care.

The SBAR format was a self-report tool and some nurses might have had difficulty in understanding the contents required for documentation, and therefore, the accuracy of entry of SBAR data were questionable:

  1. Content analysis of all the SBAR forms was not done.

  2. The sample size was small and hence cannot be generalized.

  3. Patient care outcomes in terms of average length of stay were not evaluated but are important considerations for future research.

Nurses have a vital role in ensuring successful team performance by transferring relevant and critical information. SBAR technique helps in focused and easy communication between nurses especially during transition of patient care from one nurse to another. SBAR communication has become a standard, across disciplines as a mode of hands off communication.[9] Use of standardized hands off communication during bedside shift handover is essential for patient safety, as the benefits for patients outweigh the risks and cost of implementation.[14] The patient, who is the focus of all interaction, should be involved in decision-making and updated with information relevant to them, which in turn will help in reducing errors and create a sense of well-being and satisfaction.

The results suggest that individual and team training in various aspects of SBAR need to be initiated to bring about an impact by use of SBAR form. Importance and relevance of capturing information related allergies, comorbidities, assessment of pain, neurological monitoring, and aspects to be documented under the plan of care need to be incorporated as a regular part of continuing education program. An audit to look for reduced number of incidents related to communication failures is essential for long-term evaluation of patient outcomes[3] and thus, provide safe and quality care to patients.

SBAR form modified to organizational requirement can play an important role in transferring of information from one nurse to next during bedside shift handoff. SBAR can play an important role in communication between nurse and physician, especially when the doctor is not available in the premises and vital information regarding patient status need to be communicated. Though SBAR is regularly used in Western world and has been found to be effective, it is time that Indian nurses understand the importance of a standardized approach to bedside shift handoff and implement in their clinical practice to bring about a positive outcome for patients and thus play an important role in ensuring patient safety.

There are no conflicts of interest.

This article was written on the basis of a presentation given at the AONS 2015 Conference held in Seoul Korea by the Asian Oncology Nursing Society.

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