SBAR for Nursing Students and Nurses: A Complete Guide With Worked Examples
The short answer
SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation (or Request). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) TeamSTEPPS materials describe it as a structured communication framework that helps teams share information about a patient's condition, and as a way to speak up concisely, especially when a patient is deteriorating. It forces an order: what is wrong, the history that explains it, what you think, what you need.
What belongs in each part
- Situation: who you are, who the patient is, and the problem in one or two sentences, including what changed and when.
- Background: only the history that helps the listener interpret the problem: reason for admission, relevant diagnoses, recent procedures or medications, allergies, code status if relevant.
- Assessment: your clinical read: the findings that matter, the trend, and what you think the problem might be, or that you are worried but unsure.
- Recommendation or request: what you want, how soon, and what you will do while you wait.
Prepare for ninety seconds before you call
Before you call, have the patient's current and previous vital signs, the relevant recent results, the medication list and the allergy information in front of you. Decide in one sentence what you want from the call. If the patient looks unstable, follow your workplace escalation policy, which may mean calling a rapid response team.
Worked example 1: nurse to physician (fictional patient)
S: "This is the day nurse on 4 East calling about Mr. K. in room 14. His temperature is 38.6 and his heart rate has gone from 84 this morning to 112 in the last two hours."
B: "He is on day 2 after a bowel resection. He was afebrile until now, has an IV running, and has a documented penicillin allergy."
A: "He looks flushed and says his abdomen is more tender than yesterday. His dressing is dry. I am worried he may be developing an infection or another complication."
R: "Can you assess him within the next 30 minutes? I can send bloodwork if you would like it. I will repeat his vital signs in 30 minutes and call you with them."
Notice what is missing: no full history and no guessing about orders. The request is specific and says what happens next.
Worked example 2: student to preceptor (fictional patient)
S: "I would like you to look at Ms. L. in room 9 before I give her 10:00 medications. Her blood pressure is 92/58."
B: "Her readings earlier this week were higher, around 120s over 70s. She takes an antihypertensive due at 10:00."
A: "She says she feels a bit dizzy when she sits up. I have not given the medication. I am not sure whether the dose should still be given."
R: "Could we recheck her pressure together and decide whether to hold the dose and call the prescriber?"
Close the loop
SBAR ends when the plan is understood. Repeat back any orders, confirm the timeframe and say when you will report back. Then document the change, who you contacted and the response, following your employer's policy.
Common mistakes
- Starting with history instead of the current problem.
- Reading out every number instead of the ones that changed.
- Giving an assessment with no recommendation.
- Forgetting to say how urgent the request is.
A blank template
S: I am ___ calling about ___ in room ___. The problem is ___, which started ___.
B: Reason for admission/relevant history ___. Recent change ___. Allergies/code status if relevant ___.
A: Findings and trend ___. I think the problem may be ___ / I am worried about ___.
R: I would like you to ___ within ___. Meanwhile I will ___.
Where Fiabita fits
Fiabita's rewrite and SBAR tools can turn rough notes into clearer wording, and you review every line before it goes anywhere. Fiabita does not know your employer's policy, cannot certify that a note is compliant and does not replace your judgment, your instructor or your supervisor.
FAQ
Q: Is SBAR required everywhere in Canada?
No single rule applies everywhere. SBAR is widely taught and used, but the format your workplace expects comes from your employer's policy and your school's instructions.
Q: Can students use SBAR?
Yes. Practising it in simulation and with your preceptor before you need it is one of the safest ways to build the habit.
Q: Does SBAR replace documentation?
No. It structures a conversation. If a significant change or a call happened, document what you observed, who you contacted, what was said or ordered and what you did, following your workplace policy.
Sources and further reading
- AHRQ TeamSTEPPS: SBAR — definition and purpose of SBAR
- CNO Documentation practice standard (revised September 2025) — Ontario standard, useful as a model elsewhere; check your own regulator