Care operations
SBAR Nursing Handoff Walkthrough: A Filled Example Shift by Shift
7/30/26
A filled SBAR example from day to night shift — Situation through Recommendation — and how it lands on the nursing handoff report.
Knowing the SBAR letters is not the same as using them under time pressure. This walkthrough follows one flagged resident concern from the end of day shift into night shift — then shows how that SBAR lands on the written handoff report. For the framework itself, see the SBAR overview for nursing shifts.
The scenario
Day shift (07:00–19:00). Resident in Room 12 has been more restless since mid-afternoon. Baseline is usually calm evenings; today she refused dinner at 17:40 and reported mild dizziness when standing. No fall. Family visited at 16:00 and mentioned she skipped her afternoon snack. Charge nurse was briefed at 18:10.
Walkthrough: Situation → Background → Assessment → Recommendation
Situation (what is happening now)
"Room 12: increased restlessness since ~15:30; refused dinner at 17:40; reported mild dizziness on standing. No fall. Asymptomatic for chest pain or shortness of breath."
Keep Situation to the current state — not the whole history. Night shift should know what changed on this shift in one or two sentences.
Background (context that changes how you read it)
"History of orthostatic hypotension; on daily BP medication. Usual evening baseline is calm, eats dinner reliably. Family visit 16:00 — they said she skipped afternoon snack. Last documented vitals 18:05: BP 118/74, HR 82, temp 36.8°C. Charge nurse notified 18:10."
Background is only what helps interpretation: diagnosis, baselines, recent events, who already knows. Skip unrelated history.
Assessment (your clinical read)
"Likely related to missed snack plus known orthostatic risk; currently stable vitals, no acute distress, but risk of fall if she stands unassisted overnight."
Assessment is judgment, not a second Situation. Say what you think is going on and what risk you are handing off.
Recommendation (what night shift should do)
"Assist with all transfers tonight; offer snack if she wakes and is hungry; recheck orthostatic vitals if dizziness returns; notify on-call if BP drops below her usual low or if she falls. Family already aware of today's change."
How it lands on the handoff report
SBAR is the briefing. The nursing handoff report is where it stays visible for the whole incoming shift:
| Report field | What to write from this SBAR |
|---|---|
| Flagged concern | Rm 12 — restlessness, refused dinner, dizziness on standing (no fall) |
| Status / vitals | 18:05 vitals stable; monitor orthostatic symptoms |
| Follow-ups | Assisted transfers; snack if hungry; recheck if dizzy; escalate if fall or low BP |
| Already notified | Charge nurse 18:10; family aware |
Verbal SBAR without a written line is how flagged concerns vanish after the hallway brief. Write the same Recommendation into the report before you leave.
Common skips in real handoffs
- Jumping to Recommendation. Night shift hears "watch her transfers" without knowing why — urgency and context get lost.
- Leaving Assessment vague. "She seems off" is not an assessment; name the likely cause and the risk (here: fall risk).
- No acknowledgment. Confirm the incoming nurse heard the SBAR and sees it on the written report before day shift leaves the unit.
- Treating SBAR as the whole handoff. Other residents still need the full report; SBAR is the flagged layer on top.
Staffing context
A clear SBAR still fails if the unit is understaffed for the acuity you just handed off. If you are sizing coverage for ratios, use the nurse-to-patient ratio calculator.
Put the walkthrough into a template
Use a nursing handoff report for the full unit, keep SBAR for flagged concerns, and start free in CrewSignals when you want acknowledgment tracked.