SBAR Communication Tool: A Literature Review on Enhancing Healthcare

This literature review explores the effectiveness of the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) communication tool in enhancing patient safety within healthcare settings. It critically analyzes various research articles that investigate the implementation of SBAR in different healthcare contexts, including nursing, obstetrics, and cancer centers. The review highlights how SBAR facilitates clear and concise communication among healthcare professionals, reduces medical errors, and improves patient outcomes. The studies included examine the impact of SBAR on nurses' confidence, teamwork, job satisfaction, and the overall safety climate. While SBAR shows promise in improving communication and patient safety, the review also identifies limitations, such as the need for further research on its applicability across diverse patient populations and healthcare settings, including multilingual contexts and with elderly patients, and the importance of integrating both technical and verbal communication strategies. Desklib offers a platform for students to access this and other solved assignments.

Running head: SAFETY PLAN
SAFETY PLAN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Abela-Dimech, F., & Vuksic, O. (2018). Improving the practice of handover for psychiatric
inpatient nursing staff. Archives Of Psychiatric Nursing, 32(5), 729-736.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2018.04.004
This paper demonstrates that designing of a framework of communication among nurses
and patient’s essential. Sometimes it had been noticed that nurse counselling tool also helps in
better communication system.
Patient sometimes donot communicate easily until and unless any guidelines are set.
Providing with guide book can help patient to understand the polices. It lacks in explaining the
whether the number of staffs have a role in communication.
Van, K., Nogueira, L., Gustafson, D., Tieu, W., Averch, T., & Kim, F. (2017). The Culture
of Patient Safety Practice: Systematic Review. Urology Practice, 4(4), 296-301.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urpr.2016.08.003
It explains patient care weakness can be improved by designing a checklist from both
nurses as well as patient’s side. So that they can keep a track that all the health related issues are
solved.
The checklist would help in quick identification of any missing data and hence nurses can
directly communicate it to the patient for further diagnosis. However, it lacks in explaining
various chief checklist points to be noted from nurse’s side.
Yu, M., & Kang, K. (2015). SBAR Report Competency and Communication Clarity of
Handover in Korean Nursing Students. International Journal Of Bio-Science And Bio-
Technology, 7(6), 189-200. https://doi.org/10.14257/ijbsbt.2015.7.6.19
The nursing organization cooperate not only with nurses but also with various
occupations that comprises physicians in the hospital. Communication is nursing skill is highly

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essential to handle tasks. Effective communication skills help in demonstrating patient’s problem
and hence it helps in the enhancement of the self-confidence in taking care of the patients. This
paper states that the sometimes nurses from multilingual background faces difficulty in
communication. SBAR is adopted that states that the handover of tasks amongst nurses would
help in improving the clarity.
The task distribution depending on nurse’s comfort would also help in better
communication. However, this paper lacks in explaining that the ways a nurse can communicate
if the patient is old however, form old people SBAR tools does not work as they have their own
way of choices.
Lee, S., Dong, L., Lim, Y., Poh, C., & Lim, W. (2016). SBAR: towards a common
interprofessional team-based communication tool. Medical Education, 50(11), 1167-1168.
https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13171
This paper explains about the influence of inter-professional encouragement by using
SBAR statement tool on student, self-perception of inter-professional capability in addition to
response to inter-professional associations. It helps in improving the team based
communications. It states that the improvement in the communication can be built have
developing an easy online communication tool.
It will help in easy understanding of the patient’s assessments by concisely
demonstrating relevant information for the situation which provides assessments considering
different options and also provides recommendation for certain actions. This would help is
having a good commination level among patient and nurse. However, this paper lacks in
explaining if it applicable for competence towards inter-professional collaboration.

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Nagammal, S., Nashwan, A., Nair, S., & Susmitha, A. (2016). Nurses’ perceptions
regarding using the SBAR tool for handoff communication in a tertiary cancer center in
Qatar. Journal Of Nursing Education And Practice, 7(4).
https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v7n4p103
This paper explains if there is communication in the literature medical guideline and the
ways it will affect the patient. It explains that the effective tool used by hospitals in various
location helps in providing safety to the patient. Patient safety is a prime tool. Patients
background can be studied from the designed tools that would help nurses to improve
communication.
Nurses have the ability to maintain a hand-off communication system. They plan of
handoff communication leads to better analysis. The use of shift-shift endorsements for factor
identification of specific factor that the patient in communication. Nevertheless, it does not
explain about the effect in other countries, as every country have different healthcare measures.
Achrekar, M., Murthy, V., Kanan, S., Shetty, R., Nair, M., & Khattry, N. (2016).
Introduction of Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation into Nursing
Practice: A Prospective Study. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 3(1), 45.
https://doi.org/10.4103/2347-5625.178171
It explains about the documentation of system adopted by SBARs that helps in better
communication. It had been noticed that always documentation does not help in better
communication.
It requires sometimes bonding between nurse and patient. So, if the patient is facing
difficulty in communication due to their background they must be given to the nurse who can
communicate in their own language.

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Müller, M., Jürgens, J., Redaèlli, M., Klingberg, K., Hautz, W., & Stock, S. (2018). Impact
of the communication and patient hand-off tool SBAR on patient safety: a systematic
review. BMJ Open, 8(8), e022202. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022202
This study explains about the ways communication breakdown have helped in developing
adverse causes in the clinical routine. Hence, a systemic review was conducted that helped in the
improvement in the communication with application of validated tools.
They used open search strategy in identifying the validated tools that helped in
explaining the reliability of selecting a tools, data extraction strategy and rating the quality of the
study. SBAR is a part of this communication measure that helped in the outcome and incidence
measure. However, improvement can be done by conducting meta- analysis.
Arumugam, Y., Hassan, H., SHA, P. P., & Irwan, S. MANAGING PATIENT PROGRESS
REPORT THROUGH SBAR TOOL IN NON-CRITICAL CARE AREAS.
This study explains that patients progress report can be managed by improving the
communication tools. Managing patients progress report in necessary hence, a nurse must
communicate with the patient in a gentle way. The progress report will help in predicting the
patient’s improvement.
The nurse need to explain he progress report to the patient, and then they can be handed
over when released. So that patient can keep a record of this health. This paper emphasized more
on technical communication however verbal communication if more effective.

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Shahid, S., & Thomas, S. (2018). Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation
(SBAR) Communication Tool for Handoff in Health Care – A Narrative Review. Safety In
Health, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40886-018-0073-1
This paper emphasizes on the theory that the effective communication is important for
patient safety. It explains the communication failure leads to medical error that creates problem
in further diagnosis. Proper hospital setting is necessary for improving patient care and it also
requires better communication among nurses and doctors so that treatment can be done easily.
The limitation is this paper is that did not explain about doctor’s communication with
nurse which is also an effective tool. It had been noticed that difficulty of communication in
health care providers are not restricted to variation in reporting and training measures.
Vecchia, E., & Sparacino, L. (2015). High fidelity simulator experience for enhancing
communication effectiveness: Applications to quality and safety education for nurses.
Journal Of Nursing Education And Practice, 5(9). https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v5n9p78
The goal of this study was to examine the effects of acquaintance to a real time great
reliability replication knowledge. A quasi-experimental design was introduced for analysis. This
design model conducted on one of the treatment group.
Forty five respondents were chosen for the analysis. This design tool helps in finding a
way out for miscommunication and the ways to manage it. However, the chosen methods were
only specific to USA health strategies only.

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Lancaster, R., Westphal, J., & Jambunathan, J. (2015). Using SBAR to Promote Clinical
Judgment in Undergraduate Nursing Students. Journal Of Nursing Education, 54(3), S31-
S34. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20150218-08
The study explains the ways a nursing student can interpret and identify the multiple
embedded clinical prompts. It suggested the Tanner model would help in having a better
assessment of the patient health safety measures.
xThis study will help in responding, communicating, noticing and reflecting the
responses. It states that the communication skill can be improved by making a proper
communication guideline and making the patient feel comfortable is discussion. The paper
explains that the main gap exists between interpreting and noticing clinical cues and designing a
proper action course.
Ting, W., Peng, F., Lin, H., & Hsiao, S. (2017). The impact of situation-background-
assessment-recommendation (SBAR) on safety attitudes in the obstetrics department.
Taiwanese Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynecology, 56(2), 171-174.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjog.2016.06.021
It states that every department requires a proper communication guideline however more
emphasis on obstetrics department is required. Greater value on safety climate, team work as
well job satisfaction.
Patient improvement requires better communication from healthcare people however,
there need to be better communication inside healthcare individual so that the correct diagnosis
of the patient health can be done. However, it lacks in explaining the reason that the
improvement in necessary tool at obstetrics department.

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Uhm, J., Ko, Y., & Kim, S. (2019). Implementation of an SBAR communication program
based on experiential learning theory in a pediatric nursing practicum: A quasi-
experimental study. Nurse Education Today, 80, 78-84.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.05.034
It suggests that the patient safety is an important tool in health sectors. It can have
achieved by better communication. The Kolb’s learning theory along with SBARs can be helpful
in increasing the nurse’s confidence level, that would enhance the mode of communication.
Practicum related outcomes improves self-efficacy and satisfaction that leads to patient’s
health improvement. It donot explain about physician’s ways to improve communication with
nurses so that better communication among all healthcare people be maintained.

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References
Abela-Dimech, F., & Vuksic, O. (2018). Improving the practice of handover for psychiatric
inpatient nursing staff. Archives Of Psychiatric Nursing, 32(5), 729-736.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2018.04.004
Achrekar, M., Murthy, V., Kanan, S., Shetty, R., Nair, M., & Khattry, N. (2016). Introduction of
Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation into Nursing Practice: A
Prospective Study. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 3(1), 45.
https://doi.org/10.4103/2347-5625.178171
Arumugam, Y., Hassan, H., SHA, P. P., & Irwan, S. MANAGING PATIENT PROGRESS
REPORT THROUGH SBAR TOOL IN NON-CRITICAL CARE AREAS.
Lancaster, R., Westphal, J., & Jambunathan, J. (2015). Using SBAR to Promote Clinical
Judgment in Undergraduate Nursing Students. Journal Of Nursing Education, 54(3),
S31-S34. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20150218-08
Lee, S., Dong, L., Lim, Y., Poh, C., & Lim, W. (2016). SBAR: towards a common
interprofessional team-based communication tool. Medical Education, 50(11), 1167-
1168. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13171
Müller, M., Jürgens, J., Redaèlli, M., Klingberg, K., Hautz, W., & Stock, S. (2018). Impact of the
communication and patient hand-off tool SBAR on patient safety: a systematic review.
BMJ Open, 8(8), e022202. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022202
Nagammal, S., Nashwan, A., Nair, S., & Susmitha, A. (2016). Nurses’ perceptions regarding
using the SBAR tool for handoff communication in a tertiary cancer center in Qatar.
Journal Of Nursing Education And Practice, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v7n4p103

9SAFETY PLAN
Shahid, S., & Thomas, S. (2018). Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR)
Communication Tool for Handoff in Health Care – A Narrative Review. Safety In Health,
4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40886-018-0073-1
Ting, W., Peng, F., Lin, H., & Hsiao, S. (2017). The impact of situation-background-assessment-
recommendation (SBAR) on safety attitudes in the obstetrics department. Taiwanese
Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynecology, 56(2), 171-174.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjog.2016.06.021
Uhm, J., Ko, Y., & Kim, S. (2019). Implementation of an SBAR communication program based
on experiential learning theory in a pediatric nursing practicum: A quasi-experimental
study. Nurse Education Today, 80, 78-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.05.034
Van, K., Nogueira, L., Gustafson, D., Tieu, W., Averch, T., & Kim, F. (2017). The Culture of
Patient Safety Practice: Systematic Review. Urology Practice, 4(4), 296-301.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urpr.2016.08.003
Vecchia, E., & Sparacino, L. (2015). High fidelity simulator experience for enhancing
communication effectiveness: Applications to quality and safety education for nurses.
Journal Of Nursing Education And Practice, 5(9). https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v5n9p78
Yu, M., & Kang, K. (2015). SBAR Report Competency and Communication Clarity of
Handover in Korean Nursing Students. International Journal Of Bio-Science And Bio-
Technology, 7(6), 189-200. https://doi.org/10.14257/ijbsbt.2015.7.6.19