agendIQ
TemplatesPricing
Sign inStart free

Product

  • Agenda builder
  • Live meetings
  • Video calls
  • Presentations
  • Team and calendar
  • Notes for everyone

Free tools

  • Agenda maker
  • Online timer
  • Wheel spinner
  • Team generator
  • Word cloud generator
  • AI quiz generator
  • Meeting cost calculator
  • Meeting games
  • Guides
  • All free tools
  • Templates
  • Pricing
Sign inStart free

Free forever · Pro free for 14 days. No card needed.

  1. Home/
  2. Templates/
  3. Meeting kits/
  4. SBAR template and call practice
Meeting kitHealthcareHandovers

SBAR template and call practice

30 minutes 14 slides, 4 liveFree Free template

The SBAR call script with four worked examples, a 30-minute practice session where nurses rehearse calls in pairs, and the script to keep.

Use this template See inside

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

Share

SBAR: making the call

Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation

Title

In short

SBAR is a structured way to communicate about a patient: Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation. This template gives you the call script with a 'before you call' checklist, four worked examples, a 14-slide teaching deck with polls, and a 30-minute session where nurses practice calls in pairs.
Time
30 minutes
Slides
14, 4 interactive
Examples
Deterioration, fall, critical lab, pain
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's in the kit

  1. 1SBAR: making the call
  2. 2A good call gets the right help to the right patient in under a minute. SBAR is how.
  3. 3Before you call
  4. 4The four parts
  5. 5Example 1: a patient getting worse
  6. 6"Hi, it's 4 West. Room 7's pressure is low. What do you want to do?" What's missing?Situation · Background · Assessment · Recommendation · Most of it live
  7. 7Example 2: a fall
  8. 8Example 3: a critical lab
  9. 9Example 4: pain that isn't controlled
  10. 10Which recommendation is strongest?"What do you want to do?" · "Just letting you know." · "Please see her within 30 minutes." · "Can you have a look sometime?" live
  11. 11If the plan changes, ask
  12. 12How confident do you feel now about making an urgent call? live
  13. 13What makes calls hard on our unit? Anonymous. live
  14. 14Situation. Background. Assessment. Recommendation.

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, every nurse has practiced an urgent call to a provider using SBAR and knows what to have ready before dialing.

30 min · 5 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. How confident are you making an urgent call at 3am?, 3 minutes 3
  2. SBAR in four parts, and what to have ready before you call, 7 minutesInfo 7
  3. Worked examples: deterioration, fall, critical lab, uncontrolled pain, 8 minutesDiscuss 8
  4. Practice in pairs: one calls, one is the provider, then switch, 8 minutesDiscuss 8
  5. Read-back, documentation and one thing you'll do differently, 4 minutes 4
08152330 min
  1. +0′How confident are you making an urgent call at 3am?How confident are you calling a provider about a worried-about patient? 1 to 5Tip: Ask again at the end. The difference is the point of the session.3 minCheck-in
  2. +3′SBAR in four parts, and what to have ready before you callTip: Present the deck. Spend time on the 'before you call' slide; most weak calls are weak because the caller hadn't looked at the patient or the chart.7 minInfo
  3. +10′Worked examples: deterioration, fall, critical lab, uncontrolled painTip: Read each example out loud as a call. Use the polls to spot what's missing.8 minDiscuss
  4. +18′Practice in pairs: one calls, one is the provider, then switchTip: Give each pair a scenario from your own unit. The 'provider' should ask the questions a real one would.8 minDiscuss
  5. +26′Read-back, documentation and one thing you'll do differentlyOne thing you'll say differently on your next call?4 minWrap-up

The follow-up email

Subject

SBAR script to keep by the phone

Thanks for practicing today. Here's the script.

BEFORE YOU CALL
[ ] I have assessed the patient myself
[ ] Chart open; I know the admitting diagnosis
[ ] Latest progress note and last shift's assessment read
[ ] Allergies, meds, IV fluids and recent labs to hand
[ ] Latest vital signs; code status known

S · SITUATION
This is ______, RN on ______. I'm calling about ______ in room ______.
The problem I'm calling about is ______.

B · BACKGROUND
Admitted on ______ with ______. Relevant history: ______.
Vital signs: BP ____ HR ____ RR ____ Temp ____ SpO2 ____ on ____.
Change since last assessment: ______.

A · ASSESSMENT
I think the problem is ______.
or: I'm not sure what the problem is, but the patient is getting worse.

R · RECOMMENDATION
I'd like you to ______ (come and see the patient / order ______ / transfer).
By when: ______.
If the plan changes: How often do you want vitals? How long should this last? When should I call again if there's no improvement?

READ BACK AND DOCUMENT
Orders read back: [ ]  Time of call: ____  Provider: ______

How to run it

  1. 1Swap the four worked examples for situations your unit really sees. Keep the numbers realistic but fictional.
  2. 2Open with the confidence check and ask the same question at the end, so people see the change.
  3. 3Read the examples out loud as if on the phone. The polls make people listen for what's missing.
  4. 4Run the pair practice with your own scenarios, and coach the 'provider' to push back like a real one would.
  5. 5Send the follow-up so everyone has the script to print and keep by the phone.

Questions people ask

What does SBAR stand for?
Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. It was developed at Kaiser Permanente and is promoted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement for clear, quick communication about a patient.
What is an example of SBAR communication?
"This is Sam on 4 West about Mr. B in room 12; he's newly confused (S). He's 72, day 2 after hip surgery, RR 26, SpO2 89% (B). I think he's deteriorating (A). Please see him in 15 minutes (R)."
What if I don't know what the problem is?
Say so in the assessment: "I'm not sure what the problem is, but the patient is getting worse." That is a complete and useful assessment.
What should I have ready before an SBAR call?
Your own assessment of the patient, the chart with the admitting diagnosis, the latest notes, allergies, medications, IV fluids, recent labs and vital signs, and the code status.

Run it with your group

Free
  • Everyone answers on their phone, no app or sign-up
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

Goes well with

All meeting kits
    • Unit snapshot: who is unstable, who is a watcher, staffing2′
    • Illness severity: stable, watcher or unstable1′
    • Patient summary: why they're here, history, code status, all2′
    • Systems: neuro, cardiac, respiratory, GI/GU, skin, lines and2′
    FreeMeeting kit·Healthcare
    Nurse report sheetA one-patient report sheet in I-PASS order, the start-of-shift report that uses it, and a print-ready copy of the sheet in the follow-up. 12 min

  • I-PASS handoffs

    Illness severity · Patient summary · Action list · Situation awareness · Synthesis

    FreeMeeting kit·Healthcare
    I-PASS handoff trainingTeach I-PASS in 45 minutes: why it works, the five steps with a worked example, practice in pairs, the bedside version and a pocket card. 45 min 13 slides

  • Welcome to the unit

    How we work, how we keep patients safe, and who's got your back

    🩺
    proMeeting kit·Healthcare
    Nursing unit orientationA first-day unit orientation for new nurses: a 2-hour agenda, a 13-slide unit deck, a preceptor board and a competency checklist to sign off. 120 min 13 slides
  • Safety today
    New ideas
    In progress
    Done
    proWorkshop·Healthcare
    Unit huddle boardA 15-minute daily huddle with a live board: safety concerns and ideas from every phone, in-progress improvements and a done column worth celebrating. 15 min

  • Hand hygiene in-service

    Nursing education · 20 minutes with a short competency check

    studioPresentation·Healthcare
    Nursing presentation templateA nursing in-service deck on hand hygiene: the WHO five moments, rub or wash, glove myths and a four-question competency quiz answered on phones. 20 min 14 slides

  • Gemba walk

    Go see. Ask why. Show respect.

    FreeMeeting kit·Manufacturing
    Gemba walk kitA gemba walk with question cards on every walker's phone, a findings board with dot voting, and follow-up actions with owners and a return date. 60 min 10 slides

  • HIPAA refresher

    Annual privacy and security training for everyone who handles patient information

    proPresentation·Healthcare
    HIPAA training presentationAn annual HIPAA refresher: PHI, the three rules, minimum necessary, security habits and breach reporting, with scenario polls and an attendance record. 30 min 15 slides

  • [Your topic]

    Lunch and learn · [Speaker name, role]

    🥪
    FreeMeeting kit·HR & people
    Lunch and learn kitA 45-minute lunch and learn: a fill-in 14-slide talk, a five-question quiz on phones, anonymous Q&A and a vote on the next topic. 45 min 14 slides

Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Change anything in the editor. When you're ready, press Present: everyone joins with a scan and answers on their phone.

  • Free forever
  • Pro free for 14 days
  • No card needed
  • Guests never need an account
Use this template More meeting kits
agendIQ

Meetings are boring. Let's make them fun. Plan the agenda, run it live with a call that follows it, and leave with decisions.

Product

  • Plan a meeting
  • How it works
  • Video calls
  • Interactive presentations
  • Meeting timer
  • Pricing
  • Join with a code
  • Sign in

Templates

  • Presentation templates
  • Games & quizzes
  • Workshop templates
  • Meeting kits
  • Weekly team meeting agenda
  • Retrospective meeting agenda
  • 1:1 meeting agenda
  • All 507 templates

Free tools

  • AI agenda maker
  • Meeting cost calculator
  • Video meetings
  • All free tools
  • Online timer
  • Wheel spinner
  • Random team generator
  • Word cloud generator
  • AI quiz generator

Guides

  • Meeting games & icebreakers
  • How to write a meeting agenda
  • How to run effective meetings
  • Meeting minutes & action items

Compare

  • Mentimeter alternative
  • Slido alternative
  • Free video calls compared
  • Google Meet alternative
  • Zoom alternative
  • Miro alternative
  • Otter.ai alternative
  • Kahoot alternatives
  • Gamma alternative

Trust

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Calls are never recorded
  • Votes stay anonymous
  • Data stored in the EU
© 2026 Agendiq30 sectors · 507 templates · Participants never need an account