Carecraft · Team communication
A handover that gets heard
Use SBAR and closed-loop communication to make the next step unmistakable.
What to do
- Lead with situation and urgency. Identify yourself, your role, the patient using approved identifiers, and the immediate concern. State urgency clearly. Escalate emergencies immediately through local procedures.
- Give relevant background and assessment. Keep background concise. Share recent changes, relevant context, and your assessment within your scope. Separate observed facts from interpretation.
- Make a clear recommendation. Ask explicitly for the review or action you need and by when. Confirm the recipient’s understanding, ownership, and escalation plan if help does not arrive.
Key point: A good handover transfers responsibility, not just information.
Try a real situation
At 02:00 you give an SBAR about a patient whose breathing has worsened. The on-call doctor says, “OK, noted, thanks,” and starts to hang up without saying whether she is coming. What best establishes a shared plan?
Ownership, timing and a contingency turn an acknowledged message into a shared plan. Asking before she hangs up is the last chance to close the loop.
Reflect
Which part of your usual handover is least explicit: urgency, assessment, ownership, or next step?
Evidence and guidance
