SBAR Tool Implementation to Advance Communication, Teamwork, and the Perception of Patient Safety Culture

Current evidence reveals that surgical patients are more prone to adverse events when compared to any other population in the acute care setting. In a military training hospital, handoff communication between surgical intensive care unit (SICU) nurses, physicians, and anesthesia providers (certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists) about patients being prepared for surgery was identified as a problem by an initial inquiry of the staff. This article discusses an evidence-based project (EBP) that utilized a standardized multidisciplinary Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) tool to improve communication, teamwork, and the perception of a patient safety culture between the SICU nurses and physicians and the anesthesia providers in preparation for surgery. The SICU and anesthesia departments received training on the SBAR tool, followed by a 7-week implementation period. Standardized handoff communication utilizing the SBAR method increased by 100%, and documentation of intraoperative antibiotics on the electronic medication administration record increased by 43%. Postimplementation results from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture surpassed database benchmarks for handoffs and transitions, overall perception of patient safety culture, and teamwork across units. This project reinforced current evidence supporting the use of standardized handoff communication.