SBAR is an acronym that stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. It is an effective and easy-to-use communication tool that helps healthcare professionals communicate quickly, efficiently, and effectively. SBAR can be used to communicate information between healthcare professionals, such as 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. The components of SBAR are as follows:
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Situation: A brief statement of the problem or issue at hand.
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Background: Pertinent and brief information related to the situation.
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Assessment: Analysis and considerations of the situation.
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Recommendation: Suggestions for actions to be taken to address the situation.
SBAR is considered a best practice by the Joint Commission and has been widely implemented in healthcare systems. It is a useful tool for organizing and communicating information, and it can improve the quality of communication between healthcare professionals. SBAR can also help in focused and easy communication between nurses, especially during the transition of patient care from one nurse to another.
