Business Category: Operations / Industrial Category: Risk Management & Compliance

General SBAR Template

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Use this free SBAR template to document the Situation, Background, Assessment, or Recommendations on a specific case or process in general settings.

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General SBAR Template
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How to Use This Checklist

  • Choose the case or process you are handing over. The template works for a single case or process at a time, so decide up front what the handover is about.
  • Fill in the situation. Describe the current situation or problem briefly. This is the part the reader will read first, so keep it short and specific.
  • Fill in the background. Give the relevant background information about the situation or case so the reader has the context needed to follow the assessment.
  • Fill in the assessment. Present your evaluation of the person, situation, or case. This is your read on the information you have gathered.
  • Fill in the recommendation. Suggest the specific actions or interventions to be taken.
  • Fill in the records. Record who conducted it, the prepared-by name, the location, the start and end times, a signature, and any other notes.

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What the SBAR process is

SBAR is a structure for passing information about a case or process from one person to another. It stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, and it keeps a handover in a fixed order: what is happening now, what led up to it, what you make of it, and what you suggest should happen next. The template follows that order. It has sections for the SBAR itself, for each of the four parts, and for completion details, and it records the person who conducted the handover, where it was conducted, when it started and finished, and a signature.

Why the structure matters

A handover is only useful if the person receiving it can follow it. By separating the situation from the background, and the assessment from the recommendation, the structure makes it clear what is being described, what is being evaluated, and what is being asked for. Because every SBAR handover follows the same four parts, a reader who knows the format can find the recommendation quickly, and a reviewer can compare one handover with another on the same terms.

What a good SBAR handover covers

A complete SBAR handover records: - **Situation** – a brief description of the current situation or problem. - **Background** – the relevant background information about the situation or case. - **Assessment** – your evaluation of the person, situation, or case. - **Recommendation** – the specific actions or interventions to be taken. The template also captures the supporting records: who conducted the handover, the prepared-by name, the location, the start and end times, a signature, and any other notes. Together, these records show when the handover was conducted and who prepared it.

How to carry out the handover

Work through the four parts in order and keep each one focused on its own job. Describe the situation briefly. Supply only the background that is relevant to it. Present your assessment of the person, situation, or case. Then set out the specific actions or interventions you recommend, so the reader can act on them. When the handover is complete, finish the records: who conducted it, the prepared-by name, the location, the start and end times, a signature, and any other notes. The template keeps these records together with the four parts so the whole handover reads as one document.

Frequently Asked Questions

The records section captures the administrative details of the handover: who conducted it, when it was conducted, where it took place, the prepared-by name, and the start and end times. It closes with a signature and any other notes you want to add.

SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. It is a structured way to hand over information about a case or process so the person receiving it gets the current problem, the relevant history, your evaluation, and the action you suggest, in that order.

You fill in the section for one case or process at a time. State the situation, add the background, give your assessment, set out your recommendation, then capture who prepared it, where it was conducted, when it started and finished, a signature, and any other notes.

The assessment is the part where you present your evaluation of the person, situation, or case. It is your read on what the situation, background, and any observations you have made actually mean.

The recommendation sets out the specific actions or interventions to be taken. Keeping the recommendation separate from the assessment makes it clear what the reader is being asked to do.

The background gives the relevant history or context for the situation or case. It is the information a reader needs in order to understand the situation and your assessment, and it comes straight after the situation.

The records section captures when the work was conducted and when it was prepared. The template records who prepared the handover, where it was conducted, and the start and end times.

Yes. Each section is short and has a single focus, so it can be used for clinical handovers, shift changeovers, or the daily handovers you carry out in other general settings.
Arne Reis
Written by
Arne Reis
Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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