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SBAR Template and Examples for Clinical Communication

The ScribeMD Team ·

It's 4:40 on a Friday. A patient you saw this morning calls back short of breath, and your nurse needs to reach the covering physician before the office closes. She has about a minute to explain what's going on. What she says in that minute, and the order she says it in, decides whether the other person acts or asks ten questions first.

That's what SBAR is for. It's a short, fixed structure for telling another clinician about a patient: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. This guide covers what goes in each part, gives you a fill-in SBAR template, and walks through several SBAR examples from clinic, hospital, and behavioral health settings.

What SBAR stands for

SBAR came out of military and aviation communication and was adopted in healthcare to make handoffs and urgent calls more predictable. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality includes it as a core communication tool in its TeamSTEPPS program. The idea is simple: the listener always knows what's coming next, so nothing important gets buried.

  • S, Situation: who you are, who the patient is, and why you're calling. One or two sentences.
  • B, Background: the context the listener needs: relevant history, reason for the visit or admission, recent treatment, allergies, code status where it matters.
  • A, Assessment: what you're seeing now (vitals, symptoms, exam findings, results) and what you think is happening.
  • R, Recommendation: what you need from the listener and by when. A specific ask, not "just wanted to let you know".

Many units add a fifth step and call it ISBAR (Identify first) or SBAR-R (Read back at the end). Both are worth doing: introduce yourself clearly, and have the listener repeat back any order before you hang up.

SBAR template

Copy this into your notes app, your EHR's phrase library, or a pocket card. Fill it in before you pick up the phone.

Situation

  • Me: name, role, unit or clinic.
  • Patient: name, age, room or chart number.
  • Reason for the call: the problem in one sentence.
  • Urgency: how quickly you need a response.

Background

  • Reason for visit or admission: and date.
  • Relevant history: only what bears on this problem.
  • Current treatment: relevant medications, recent procedures, recent changes.
  • Allergies and code status: when relevant to the decision.
  • Baseline: what is normal for this patient.

Assessment

  • Vital signs: current, with the trend if you have it.
  • Findings: symptoms, exam, new results.
  • What has changed: compared with baseline or the last check.
  • Your read: what you think is going on, or "I'm not sure, but I'm worried".

Recommendation

  • The ask: come and see the patient, an order, a transfer, a callback, advice.
  • Timeframe: when you need it.
  • Read-back: repeat any orders and confirm the plan.

SBAR examples

The examples below are illustrative. Patient details are invented, and the recommendations show the shape of a good ask, not treatment advice for any real case.

Example 1: clinic nurse calling the covering physician

  • Situation: "This is Dana, RN at Maple Street Family Medicine. I'm calling about Mr. J., 68, a patient of Dr. Patel's. He called back reporting new shortness of breath since this afternoon, and I'm concerned."
  • Background: "He was seen this morning for a two-day cough. History of heart failure and type 2 diabetes. He was sent home with supportive care. No known drug allergies."
  • Assessment: "He says he's breathless walking to the bathroom, which is new, and his ankles look more swollen than usual. He reports a home pulse oximeter reading of 90% on room air. He's speaking in full sentences. I think he needs to be seen today."
  • Recommendation: "I'd like to send him to the emergency department now unless you want something different. Can you confirm in the next 10 minutes?"

Example 2: inpatient nurse to hospitalist, overnight change

  • Situation: "This is Sam on 4 West about Ms. R., 74, in room 412. Her blood pressure has dropped and she's more confused than at the start of my shift."
  • Background: "She was admitted yesterday with a urinary tract infection and is on IV antibiotics. History of hypertension. Baseline she is alert and oriented."
  • Assessment: "BP is 88/50, down from 132/78 four hours ago. Heart rate 112, temperature 38.6, respiratory rate 22. She's oriented to name only. Urine output has been low this shift. I'm worried about sepsis."
  • Recommendation: "I'd like you to come and assess her now. Do you want labs drawn and a fluid order while you're on the way?"

Example 3: shift handoff

  • Situation: "Mr. T., 55, bed 6, day one after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Stable, pain controlled."
  • Background: "Admitted for acute cholecystitis. History of sleep apnea, uses CPAP at night. Allergic to penicillin."
  • Assessment: "Vitals normal all shift. Tolerating clear liquids. Walked twice in the hall. Incisions clean and dry. Last pain medication given at 17:00."
  • Recommendation: "Make sure his CPAP is on overnight. Advance diet if he tolerates breakfast. Surgery team plans to round at 7."

Example 4: therapist consulting a psychiatrist

  • Situation: "This is Alex, LCSW. I'm calling about a shared client, K., 29, whose depressive symptoms have worsened over the past two weeks."
  • Background: "She's been in weekly therapy for major depressive disorder for four months and sees you for medication management. Her last visit with you was six weeks ago."
  • Assessment: "Her sleep and appetite have dropped, and she missed three days of work. She reports passive thoughts of death, denies intent or plan, and we completed a safety plan today. I don't think she's at imminent risk, but she's clearly getting worse."
  • Recommendation: "Could you see her this week rather than at her next scheduled visit? I'll see her again in three days."

Example 5: referral to a specialist

  • Situation: "I'm Dr. Lee, family medicine. I'm referring Mrs. A., 61, for evaluation of a new thyroid nodule."
  • Background: "She noticed a neck lump a month ago. No prior thyroid disease. Family history of thyroid cancer in her sister."
  • Assessment: "A firm nodule on the right lobe on exam. Ultrasound shows a solid nodule. TSH is normal."
  • Recommendation: "Please evaluate for biopsy. Report attached. She'd prefer a morning appointment."

Tips for a better SBAR

  • Lead with the problem. The listener should know why you called within the first sentence.
  • Trim the background. Include what changes the decision. The full history is in the chart.
  • Give numbers and trends. "BP 88/50, down from 132/78" is more useful than "BP is low".
  • State your concern even when you're unsure. "I don't know what's wrong, but I'm worried" is a legitimate assessment.
  • Make a specific request with a timeframe. Vague calls end with "keep an eye on it".
  • Read back orders and document the call. Who you spoke to, when, what was decided.

SBAR vs SOAP

SBAR and SOAP look similar, but they do different jobs. SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) is the structure of a written visit note. SBAR is for communicating about a patient right now, usually out loud and usually with a request attached. Many clinicians use both on the same day: SBAR on the phone, SOAP in the chart afterward. If you want the written side, see our SOAP note template with examples.

Documenting SBAR conversations

The call isn't finished until it's in the chart. A short note with the time, who you spoke to, the key findings you reported, and the plan that was agreed protects the patient and you. This is where documentation often slips, because the call happens in the middle of everything else.

An AI medical scribe can help with the written side. With the patient's consent, ScribeMD listens to a visit and drafts a structured note, often in under 30 seconds, so the background you'll need for the next SBAR call (the history, the exam, the plan) is already written down. It doesn't replace the call itself, and the draft is never final: you review it, edit it, and sign it. Expect to make more edits in the first few weeks while you get used to how it writes. If the background section of your calls depends on a good history, our guide to the history of present illness is worth a read.

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