How to give a handoff report (SBAR)
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Many errors happen when care passes from one person to another. SBAR gives every handoff the same order, in a hospital or from an ambulance.
Step by step
Prepare
Have the chart, vital signs, medications and recent results in front of you before you call. [1]
S: situation
Your name, role and unit, the patient's name and the problem right now in one sentence. [2]
B: background
Diagnosis, relevant history, medications, allergies and code status. [2]
A: assessment
Vital signs, key findings and what you think is going on. [2]
R: recommendation
What you need, and by when: "I would like you to see the patient in the next 15 minutes." [2]
Read back
Repeat orders back and confirm. Invite questions. [1]
Document
Write who you spoke to, what was said and the plan. [1]
Common errors
- Starting with a long background.
- No clear request at the end.
- Not reading back orders.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Sources
- The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals
- AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
Facts and steps follow AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs); The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.