NURSEFORWARD ACADEMY
SBAR Conversation Planner

An educational communication tool for new graduate nurses.

Before you call: assess the patient, collect relevant information, and clarify the help you need. Acute deterioration requires immediate escalation using your facility’s emergency protocols; do not delay to complete this planner.

S — SITUATION
Who are you, which patient are you calling about, and what is happening now?
What changed, and when did it begin?

B — BACKGROUND
What is the reason for admission?
Which recent treatments, relevant diagnoses, allergies, or medications matter to this concern?

A — ASSESSMENT
What are the current assessment findings and vital sign trends?
How does the patient look compared with their baseline?
What have you already done, and what response did you observe?

R — RECOMMENDATION
What review, assistance, or action do you need, and how urgently?
Confirm the plan, read back orders according to policy, and clarify when to call again.
Document the communication and response using your facility’s process.

Reflection prompt: What information helped make your request clear?

For education only. Follow current clinical guidance, facility policy, and supervision. Do not include patient identifiers in personal learning notes.