In which scenario is SBAR most appropriate?

• A. Communicating the patient’s status to another clinician.
• B. Filing a discharge summary.
• C. Documenting medication administration in MAR.
• D. Scheduling a nurse for shift.

Answer: (A)

SBAR is a concise, standardized way to communicate clinical information between healthcare professionals. It structures the message so the clinician receiving it immediately understands what’s happening, why it matters, and what action is needed. The scenario fits best because you’re passing along the patient’s current status to another clinician who needs to decide on the next step. Using Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation helps ensure nothing critical is missed and that the next steps are clear.

The other tasks are administrative or documentation-focused rather than clinical handoffs. Filing a discharge summary, recording medications in the MAR, or scheduling staffing are not typically conveyed with SBAR because they don’t involve a concise clinical handoff or request for clinician action.