Resolving Communication Friction Between Surgeons and Nursing Staff
Hierarchical friction between physicians and nurses creates patient safety hazards. Master the structured SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) framework.
Amit KasliwalCEO & Founder, Dehurdle
June 02, 20254 min read
The SBAR Spoken Communication Protocol
Situation: "Dr. Patel, this is Nurse Sarah in ICU. Patient in Room 4 is experiencing acute respiratory distress."
Background: "He is post-op day 1 from thoracic resection with a baseline oxygen saturation of 96%."
Assessment: "His saturation has dropped to 87% on 4L nasal cannula, and breath sounds are diminished on the right."
Recommendation: "I recommend an immediate stat chest X-ray and your evaluation at the bedside."
The 2-Minute Practice Drill
2-Minute Spoken Drill
The 2-Minute Practice Drill
Practice delivering crisp SBAR handoffs in Dehurdle.