SBAR Communication Examples for Nurses
SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) is a structured way to communicate important information about a patient, most often during a phone call, a handoff or an escalation of a concern.
Educational use & privacy
Educational documentation practice only. Use fictional or instructor-provided information. Do not enter real patient information or protected health information (PHI). Documentation requirements vary by organization, setting, role, policy, and applicable law.
Nursing Notes Privacy & SafetyContent status: Draft — not yet professionally reviewed.
Why it is structured this way
SBAR puts the most important point first. The listener hears the concern (Situation) before the history, which helps busy team members focus quickly. Ending with a Recommendation makes the request explicit instead of leaving the listener to guess why they were called.
When this may be used
- Calling a provider about a concern.
- Handoff reports between nurses or units.
- Some organizations also use SBAR headings for written notes; SBAR is primarily a communication framework, not a universal progress-note format.
- After an SBAR conversation, the notification itself is usually documented according to facility policy.
Components
Situation
The reason for the communication, stated briefly.
What belongs here
- Your name/role, the patient, the concern right now
What does not belong
- Long history
Background
Context the listener needs.
What belongs here
- Diagnosis/reason for admission, relevant history, recent changes
What does not belong
- Unrelated history
Assessment
Current findings and your view.
What belongs here
- Vital signs and findings obtained, what you think is happening within your role
What does not belong
- Unsupported conclusions
Recommendation
What you need.
What belongs here
- A clear request or suggestion; read-back of orders
What does not belong
- Vague endings such as "just letting you know" when you need action
Short fictional example
- Situation
- This is the nurse caring for Fictional Patient A in room 4. Urine output has been 60 mL over the last 4 hours.
- Background
- Patient is day 1 after hip surgery with an indwelling urinary catheter.
- Assessment
- Blood pressure 108/66, heart rate 96. Catheter tubing checked; no kinks found.
- Recommendation
- I'm requesting that you evaluate the patient. Would you like any orders?
More detailed fictional example
- Situation
- Fictional Patient A, admitted yesterday with pneumonia, is on 2 L/min oxygen by nasal cannula.
- Background
- History of asthma per chart. IV antibiotic scheduled every 8 hours; last dose given at 1400.
- Assessment
- SpO2 94% on 2 L/min at 1800. Respiratory rate 20. Coarse crackles in the right lower lobe. Patient states breathing is "easier than yesterday." Walked to bathroom with assist of one.
- Recommendation
- Continue monitoring oxygen saturation. Next antibiotic due at 2200. Patient has asked about the plan for discharge; provider has not yet addressed this.
Annotated example
Notes on the detailed example above:
Urine output has been 60 mL over the last 4 hours.
— Situation gets straight to the concern with a measurable fact.day 1 after hip surgery with an indwelling urinary catheter
— Background is short and relevant.Catheter tubing checked; no kinks found.
— Assessment includes what the nurse already checked.I'm requesting that you evaluate the patient.
— Recommendation states the request clearly.
Common mistakes
- Starting with a long history before stating the concern.
- Ending without a request or recommendation.
- Treating SBAR as a replacement for the documentation your facility requires.
- Not reading back orders received.
Good vs poor documentation
Weaker (fictional)
Just calling to let you know room 4 isn't peeing much.
Stronger (fictional)
Urine output 60 mL over 4 hours; BP 108/66, HR 96. I'm requesting that you evaluate the patient.
Why: Specific findings plus a clear request.
Blank educational template
SBAR communication: A structure for organizing a verbal or written report. Prompts only; nothing is prefilled.
- Situation
- [Who you are, who the patient is, and the concern right now]
- Background
- [Relevant history, diagnosis, recent changes]
- Assessment
- [Current findings and your assessment of the situation]
- Recommendation
- [What you are requesting or suggesting; read back any orders received]
Practice this format
- Practice Note Builder — write a practice note from a fictional scenario.
- Documentation practice questions
Related documentation guides
- Provider notification
- Transfer / handoff
- Change in condition
- NCLEX Management of Care review — Communication, handoff and prioritization concepts.
Sources
- TeamSTEPPS — SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) — Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Nursing Management and Professional Concepts 2e — Open RN / NCBI Bookshelf.
- Nursing Fundamentals 2e — 2.5 Documentation — Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College).
All examples on this page are original and fictional. Sources are used to check principles; they do not endorse Dosage Calcs. See Privacy & Safety.