SBAR template
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Your name, role and unit · Patient name, age, room · The problem in one sentence · How urgent it is
Admitting diagnosis and date · Relevant history and recent procedures · Current treatments and recent changes · Allergies and code status · Recent labs or results that matter
Current vital signs and how they changed · Your focused findings · Relevant scores (GCS, MEWS, pain) · What you think the problem is, or "I am not sure, but I am worried"
What you want: come see the patient, orders, a transfer · A time frame · What to watch for and when to call back · Read back any verbal orders
Your SBAR report
Reviewed September 30, 2026 by the editorial team. Follow your facility's escalation policy.
What to say in each part of SBAR
S: Situation
What is happening right now?
- Your name, role and unit
- Patient name, age, room
- The problem in one sentence
- How urgent it is
B: Background
What is the context?
- Admitting diagnosis and date
- Relevant history and recent procedures
- Current treatments and recent changes
- Allergies and code status
- Recent labs or results that matter
A: Assessment
What do you think is going on?
- Current vital signs and how they changed
- Your focused findings
- Relevant scores (GCS, MEWS, pain)
- What you think the problem is, or "I am not sure, but I am worried"
R: Recommendation
What do you need?
- What you want: come see the patient, orders, a transfer
- A time frame
- What to watch for and when to call back
- Read back any verbal orders
SBAR examples
Four fictional reports you can use as a model. Each one follows the same order and ends with a clear request.
Post-operative patient with low oxygen saturation
- S
- This is Anna, RN on 4 West. I am calling about Mr. Lee, 68, room 412. His SpO2 dropped from 95% to 88% on 2 L nasal cannula over the last 30 minutes and he is short of breath.
- B
- Day 2 after a right total hip replacement. History of COPD and heart failure. Received IV fluids overnight. No known allergies. Full code.
- A
- RR 28, HR 112, BP 138/84, temperature 37.4 °C. Crackles in both lung bases, 2+ pitting edema in both ankles that was not there this morning. I think he may be fluid overloaded.
- R
- Please come and evaluate him within 15 minutes. Would you like a chest X-ray, labs and a medication order? I will raise his head of bed, recheck vitals every 15 minutes and call you back if SpO2 falls below 90% on the current oxygen.
Possible sepsis on a med-surg unit
- S
- This is Luis, RN on 6 South. I am calling about Mrs. Diaz, 74, room 618. She is newly confused and her blood pressure dropped.
- B
- Admitted yesterday with a urinary tract infection, on IV antibiotics since last night. History of type 2 diabetes. Allergic to sulfa. Full code.
- A
- BP 94/58 (was 128/76 at 08:00), HR 118, RR 24, temperature 38.6 °C. She is oriented to self only; this morning she was fully oriented. Her qSOFA is 3 and MEWS is 6. I am concerned she is getting septic.
- R
- I would like a rapid response or for you to see her now. Do you want blood cultures, a lactate and a fluid order? I am starting the sepsis protocol steps I can do independently and will stay with her.
Change in level of consciousness
- S
- This is Priya, RN on the neuro unit. Mr. Brown, 59, room 207, has a drop in his GCS from 14 to 11 in the last hour.
- B
- Admitted 2 days ago with a small subdural hematoma after a fall. He takes an anticoagulant at home, which was held on admission. Full code.
- A
- GCS 11 (E3 V3 M5), previously E4 V4 M6. Right pupil 5 mm and sluggish, left 3 mm and brisk. BP 168/92, HR 58. I am worried about increasing intracranial pressure.
- R
- Please come now. Do you want a stat CT of the head? I have raised the head of bed to 30 degrees and will keep neuro checks every 15 minutes until you arrive.
End-of-shift handoff
- S
- Ms. Green, 45, room 310, stable, pain controlled. She is the priority for the morning because her surgery is at 09:00.
- B
- Admitted with acute cholecystitis for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy today. NPO since midnight. Allergic to penicillin (rash). IV antibiotics running on schedule.
- A
- Vital signs stable all night. Pain 3/10 after her last dose at 04:00. Braden 19, Morse 25 because of the IV pole. Consent is signed and in the chart; pre-op checklist is half done.
- R
- Finish the pre-op checklist by 07:30, recheck pain at 08:00 and remind her not to drink anything. Call the surgical team if her temperature goes above 38.0 °C.
Tips for a better SBAR call
- Prepare before you call. Have the chart open, the latest vital signs, medication list, allergies, code status and recent labs in front of you.
- Assess the patient first. A current set of vital signs and your own findings make the call worth the provider's time.
- Lead with the problem. The first sentence should tell the listener why you are calling.
- Include the numbers. Scores such as the GCS, MEWS or pain score communicate severity quickly.
- Make a specific request with a time frame, then read back any verbal order and document the call.
- Escalate if the response does not match the risk. Use your chain of command or rapid response team as your policy allows.
Frequently asked questions
What does SBAR stand for in nursing?
SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation. It is a structured way to tell another clinician, usually a provider, what is happening with a patient and what you need, in the order they need to hear it.
Who created SBAR?
SBAR began as a communication tool in the US Navy (nuclear submarines). Kaiser Permanente adapted it for health care in the early 2000s, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and AHRQ's TeamSTEPPS program helped spread it to hospitals.
What is ISBAR?
ISBAR adds an I for Identify at the start: say who you are, where you are calling from and which patient you are calling about. Many facilities use ISBAR or I-SBAR for phone calls and handoffs. The generator on this page includes the identification in the Situation part.
How long should an SBAR report be?
For a call about a change in condition, aim for about one minute. Lead with the situation so the listener knows why you are calling, give only the background that matters to this problem, and end with a specific request.
What if I do not know what is wrong?
Say so. "I am not sure what is going on, but I am worried about this patient" is a valid assessment. State the findings that concern you and ask the provider to come and see the patient.
Is SBAR used for shift handoff?
Yes. Many units use SBAR or a variant for bedside shift report. For handoff, the Situation is the patient's current status and priorities, and the Recommendation is what the next nurse needs to do or watch.
Scales to include in your report
Sources: IHI: SBAR Tool · AHRQ, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses (ch. 33). Examples are fictional and written by our editorial team. Reviewed September 30, 2026.