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SBAR Audio Handoff Discussion Pack for Nursing Faculty

Listen to four short handoffs, make five private judgments, then reveal the communication tension and a five-minute replay activity. The first three cases hold the patient facts constant so the communication is the variable.

Start with case 1 Facilitator PDF

Built for a teaching conversation

  • About 10 minutes per case. Use one case for a brief teaching moment, two for comparison, or all four in about 40 minutes.
  • Faculty-led and projection-friendly. Learners can make the same private judgments on their own devices.
  • Your five judgments stay private. They are never sent or stored. No account or personal contact details are required.
US-English voices, roles adaptable to your institution. These cases use familiar US nursing roles and terminology, but the communication activity can be adapted locally. This is a formative discussion specimen, not clinical guidance or a validated assessment.

Context question near the start of the guide. Would you use a version developed specifically for another healthcare context?

Why these four

Same situation, different communication

Recordings 1 to 3 use the same patient, nurse, covering physician, unit, vital signs, reason for calling, physician response, and read-back. Only the communication behavior changes.

Recording 4 deliberately changes the task to shift handoff. It asks whether action, owner, time, and loop closure remain observable when responsibility transfers between nurses.

Audio handoff · 1:19

Recording 1

Covering-physician call

Jamie Carter, bedside nurse · Dr. Alex Morgan, covering physician

Read before listening

Scenario card for Recording 1

Covering-physician call

Elena Martinez, 68, is post-operative day 1 after abdominal surgery on 4 North.

It is 6:45 p.m. Jamie Carter, the bedside nurse, is calling covering physician Dr. Alex Morgan about Ms. Martinez in room 412. Her medical record number ends in 4821.

Ms. Martinez has a history of hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning. She was alert, oriented, and conversing normally earlier in the shift.

Jamie is concerned that the current change may represent deterioration. For this fictional exercise, the unit team has already identified the change as needing review by the covering physician.

Earlier and current vital signs for the fictional patient
Vital sign2:00 p.m.6:45 p.m.
Blood pressure128/76 mmHg96/58 mmHg
Heart rate82/min112/min
Respiratory rate16/min22/min
Oxygen saturation97% on room air95% on room air
Temperature98.4 degrees Fahrenheit98.8 degrees Fahrenheit

Ms. Martinez is now confused, feels clammy, and reports dizziness when she sits up.

Controlled-design note: The physician's response is the same in all three phone recordings. It is part of the controlled exercise, not a treatment recommendation.

The exercise begins after the fictional unit has identified the covering-physician call as one required communication step. It does not model whether a rapid-response or code process should also be used.

Listen to the conversation, then make five private judgments about the reason for the call, background, stated concern, next step, and confirmed ownership. There is no score or expert answer.

Listen

The handoff for Recording 1

Fictional case. Synthetically voiced conversation. These cases use US-English voices and familiar US nursing roles. This activity asks you to judge communication behavior, not clinical correctness. The vital signs describe this patient and are not escalation thresholds. Adapt role names and expectations to your institution's policy.

Before playing: Listen once without stopping. Make your five private judgments before revealing the discussion lens.

Transcript and timestamps

  1. Jamie Carter, bedside nurse: Dr. Morgan, this is Jamie Carter on 4 North, calling about Elena Martinez, MRN ending 4821, in room 412. She's 68, post-op day one after abdominal surgery, with hypertension. Her blood pressure medication was held this morning. At two this afternoon her blood pressure was 128 over 76, heart rate 82, respirations 16, sat 97 percent on room air, and temp 98.4.

  2. Dr. Alex Morgan, covering physician: Okay, Jamie. What's changed?

  3. Jamie: At 6:45 her blood pressure is 96 over 58 and her heart rate is 112. She was alert and oriented earlier. Now she's confused and clammy, and she says she's dizzy when she sits up.

  4. Dr. Morgan: What are you worried about, and what do you need from me?

  5. Jamie: I'm concerned she's deteriorating. I need you to assess her at the bedside by 7:00.

  6. Dr. Morgan: I'm on my way. I'll be at the bedside by 7:00. Get vitals at 6:50. Since it's almost shift change, stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over. Call sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further.

  7. Jamie: Got it. Vitals at 6:50, I'll stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over, and I'll call you sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further. And you'll be here by 7:00.

Private check

What did you hear?

0 of 5 selected

Your selections stay in temporary browser state. They are not submitted, scored, compared, or saved, and they disappear when you refresh.

Clear
I heard enough evidence that this behavior was achieved.
Needs discussion
I heard evidence that this behavior was incomplete or unclear.
Not sure
I cannot decide from the recording or would need local context or policy.
1. Was the priority or reason for the call or handoff clear early?
2. Was the background limited to what the receiver needed?
3. Did the speaker state an assessment or concern, rather than only reporting facts?
4. Was the expected next step clear, including its urgency or by-when?
5. Did the receiver confirm who would do what and by when?

You can reveal the discussion lens at any time. Completing the private check is optional.

Audio handoff · 1:15

Recording 2

Covering-physician call

Jamie Carter, bedside nurse · Dr. Alex Morgan, covering physician

Read before listening

Scenario card for Recording 2

Covering-physician call

Elena Martinez, 68, is post-operative day 1 after abdominal surgery on 4 North.

It is 6:45 p.m. Jamie Carter, the bedside nurse, is calling covering physician Dr. Alex Morgan about Ms. Martinez in room 412. Her medical record number ends in 4821.

Ms. Martinez has a history of hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning. She was alert, oriented, and conversing normally earlier in the shift.

Jamie is concerned that the current change may represent deterioration. For this fictional exercise, the unit team has already identified the change as needing review by the covering physician.

Earlier and current vital signs for the fictional patient
Vital sign2:00 p.m.6:45 p.m.
Blood pressure128/76 mmHg96/58 mmHg
Heart rate82/min112/min
Respiratory rate16/min22/min
Oxygen saturation97% on room air95% on room air
Temperature98.4 degrees Fahrenheit98.8 degrees Fahrenheit

Ms. Martinez is now confused, feels clammy, and reports dizziness when she sits up.

Controlled-design note: The physician's response is the same in all three phone recordings. It is part of the controlled exercise, not a treatment recommendation.

The exercise begins after the fictional unit has identified the covering-physician call as one required communication step. It does not model whether a rapid-response or code process should also be used.

Listen to the conversation, then make five private judgments about the reason for the call, background, stated concern, next step, and confirmed ownership. There is no score or expert answer.

Listen

The handoff for Recording 2

Fictional case. Synthetically voiced conversation. These cases use US-English voices and familiar US nursing roles. This activity asks you to judge communication behavior, not clinical correctness. The vital signs describe this patient and are not escalation thresholds. Adapt role names and expectations to your institution's policy.

Before playing: Listen once without stopping. Make your five private judgments before revealing the discussion lens.

Transcript and timestamps

  1. Jamie Carter, bedside nurse: Dr. Morgan, this is Jamie Carter on 4 North, calling about Elena Martinez, MRN ending 4821, in room 412. At 6:45 she's newly confused and clammy. Her blood pressure is 96 over 58, down from 128 over 76 at two this afternoon, her heart rate is 112, up from 82, her respirations are 22, up from 16, and her sat is 95 percent on room air, down from 97. I'm concerned she's deteriorating, and I need you to assess her at the bedside by 7:00.

  2. Dr. Alex Morgan, covering physician: Okay. What's her background?

  3. Jamie: She's 68 and post-op day one after abdominal surgery. She was alert and oriented earlier. She has hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning.

  4. Dr. Morgan: I'm on my way. I'll be at the bedside by 7:00. Get vitals at 6:50. Since it's almost shift change, stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over. Call sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further.

  5. Jamie: Got it. Vitals at 6:50, I'll stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over, and I'll call you sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further. And you'll be here by 7:00.

Private check

What did you hear?

0 of 5 selected

Your selections stay in temporary browser state. They are not submitted, scored, compared, or saved, and they disappear when you refresh.

Clear
I heard enough evidence that this behavior was achieved.
Needs discussion
I heard evidence that this behavior was incomplete or unclear.
Not sure
I cannot decide from the recording or would need local context or policy.
1. Was the priority or reason for the call or handoff clear early?
2. Was the background limited to what the receiver needed?
3. Did the speaker state an assessment or concern, rather than only reporting facts?
4. Was the expected next step clear, including its urgency or by-when?
5. Did the receiver confirm who would do what and by when?

You can reveal the discussion lens at any time. Completing the private check is optional.

Audio handoff · 1:14

Recording 3

Covering-physician call

Jamie Carter, bedside nurse · Dr. Alex Morgan, covering physician

Read before listening

Scenario card for Recording 3

Covering-physician call

Elena Martinez, 68, is post-operative day 1 after abdominal surgery on 4 North.

It is 6:45 p.m. Jamie Carter, the bedside nurse, is calling covering physician Dr. Alex Morgan about Ms. Martinez in room 412. Her medical record number ends in 4821.

Ms. Martinez has a history of hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning. She was alert, oriented, and conversing normally earlier in the shift.

Jamie is concerned that the current change may represent deterioration. For this fictional exercise, the unit team has already identified the change as needing review by the covering physician.

Earlier and current vital signs for the fictional patient
Vital sign2:00 p.m.6:45 p.m.
Blood pressure128/76 mmHg96/58 mmHg
Heart rate82/min112/min
Respiratory rate16/min22/min
Oxygen saturation97% on room air95% on room air
Temperature98.4 degrees Fahrenheit98.8 degrees Fahrenheit

Ms. Martinez is now confused, feels clammy, and reports dizziness when she sits up.

Controlled-design note: The physician's response is the same in all three phone recordings. It is part of the controlled exercise, not a treatment recommendation.

The exercise begins after the fictional unit has identified the covering-physician call as one required communication step. It does not model whether a rapid-response or code process should also be used.

Listen to the conversation, then make five private judgments about the reason for the call, background, stated concern, next step, and confirmed ownership. There is no score or expert answer.

Listen

The handoff for Recording 3

Fictional case. Synthetically voiced conversation. These cases use US-English voices and familiar US nursing roles. This activity asks you to judge communication behavior, not clinical correctness. The vital signs describe this patient and are not escalation thresholds. Adapt role names and expectations to your institution's policy.

Before playing: Listen once without stopping. Make your five private judgments before revealing the discussion lens.

Transcript and timestamps

  1. Jamie Carter, bedside nurse: Dr. Morgan, this is Jamie Carter on 4 North, calling about Elena Martinez, MRN ending 4821, in room 412. At 6:45 she's newly confused and clammy after being alert and oriented earlier. She's post-op day one after abdominal...

  2. Dr. Alex Morgan, covering physician: Hang on. What's her blood pressure and heart rate right now?

  3. Jamie: 96 over 58, and her heart rate is 112.

  4. Dr. Morgan: And what were they earlier?

  5. Jamie: At two this afternoon she was 128 over 76 with a heart rate of 82. She's 68, she has hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning. She also says she's dizzy when she sits up.

  6. Dr. Morgan: Okay.

  7. Jamie: So, to get back to why I'm calling: I'm concerned she's deteriorating, and I need you to assess her at the bedside by 7:00.

  8. Dr. Morgan: I'm on my way. I'll be at the bedside by 7:00. Get vitals at 6:50. Since it's almost shift change, stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over. Call sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further.

  9. Jamie: Got it. Vitals at 6:50, I'll stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over, and I'll call you sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further. And you'll be here by 7:00.

Private check

What did you hear?

0 of 5 selected

Your selections stay in temporary browser state. They are not submitted, scored, compared, or saved, and they disappear when you refresh.

Clear
I heard enough evidence that this behavior was achieved.
Needs discussion
I heard evidence that this behavior was incomplete or unclear.
Not sure
I cannot decide from the recording or would need local context or policy.
1. Was the priority or reason for the call or handoff clear early?
2. Was the background limited to what the receiver needed?
3. Did the speaker state an assessment or concern, rather than only reporting facts?
4. Was the expected next step clear, including its urgency or by-when?
5. Did the receiver confirm who would do what and by when?

You can reveal the discussion lens at any time. Completing the private check is optional.

Audio handoff · 0:56

Recording 4

Nurse-to-nurse shift handoff

Jamie Carter, off-going nurse · Taylor Brooks, oncoming nurse

Read before listening

Scenario card for Recording 4

Nurse-to-nurse shift handoff

Elena Martinez, 68, is post-operative day 1 after abdominal surgery on 4 North.

It is just before 6:50 p.m., shortly before the 7:00 p.m. shift change. Jamie Carter, the off-going nurse, is handing Ms. Martinez in room 412 over to oncoming nurse Taylor Brooks. Her medical record number ends in 4821.

Ms. Martinez has a history of hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning. She was alert, oriented, and conversing normally earlier in the shift.

Jamie is concerned that the current change may represent deterioration. For this fictional exercise, the unit team has already identified the change as needing review by covering physician Dr. Alex Morgan.

Earlier and current vital signs for the fictional patient
Vital sign2:00 p.m.6:45 p.m.
Blood pressure128/76 mmHg96/58 mmHg
Heart rate82/min112/min
Respiratory rate16/min22/min
Oxygen saturation97% on room air95% on room air
Temperature98.4 degrees Fahrenheit98.8 degrees Fahrenheit

Ms. Martinez is now confused, feels clammy, and reports dizziness when she sits up.

Already pending before this handoff

  • Dr. Morgan is on the way and has agreed to assess Ms. Martinez at the bedside by 7:00 p.m.
  • A complete vital-sign set is due at 6:50 p.m.
  • The responsible nurse is to remain with her and call Dr. Morgan sooner if she becomes less responsive or her blood pressure falls further.

These actions are conditions of the fictional exercise, not a treatment recommendation or universal shift-handoff process. The activity does not model whether a rapid-response or code process should also be used.

Listen to the conversation, then make five private judgments about the reason for the handoff, background, stated concern, next step, and confirmed ownership. There is no score or expert answer.

Listen

The handoff for Recording 4

Fictional case. Synthetically voiced conversation. These cases use US-English voices and familiar US nursing roles. This activity asks you to judge communication behavior, not clinical correctness. The vital signs describe this patient and are not escalation thresholds. Adapt role names and expectations to your institution's policy.

Before playing: Listen once without stopping. Make your five private judgments before revealing the discussion lens.

Transcript and timestamps

  1. Jamie Carter, off-going nurse: Taylor, this is Elena Martinez in 412, and she needs close attention tonight. At 6:45 she was newly confused and clammy, and said she felt dizzy sitting up. Her blood pressure was 96 over 58, down from 128 over 76 at two this afternoon, and her heart rate was 112, up from 82. I'm concerned about the change.

  2. Taylor Brooks, oncoming nurse: Got it. What's pending?

  3. Jamie: Dr. Morgan is on the way and will assess her at the bedside by 7:00. A full set of vitals is due at 6:50. The plan is for someone to stay with her until the oncoming nurse takes over, and to call Dr. Morgan sooner if she gets less responsive or her pressure drops further.

  4. Taylor: Okay. I'll keep an eye on her.

  5. Jamie: She's 68 and post-op day one after abdominal surgery. She was alert and oriented earlier. She has hypertension, and her usual blood pressure medication was held this morning. That's everything.

Private check

What did you hear?

0 of 5 selected

Your selections stay in temporary browser state. They are not submitted, scored, compared, or saved, and they disappear when you refresh.

Clear
I heard enough evidence that this behavior was achieved.
Needs discussion
I heard evidence that this behavior was incomplete or unclear.
Not sure
I cannot decide from the recording or would need local context or policy.
1. Was the priority or reason for the call or handoff clear early?
2. Was the background limited to what the receiver needed?
3. Did the speaker state an assessment or concern, rather than only reporting facts?
4. Was the expected next step clear, including its urgency or by-when?
5. Did the receiver confirm who would do what and by when?

You can reveal the discussion lens at any time. Completing the private check is optional.

Take it into the room

Facilitate without rebuilding the activity

The six-page printable pack includes the boundaries and timing, one self-contained page per case, and a reusable blank discussion sheet.

Download the facilitator packExplore the SBAR station

Context question at the end of the guide. Would you use a version developed specifically for another healthcare context?

Version 1.1. The facilitator materials in this discussion pack are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Practical details

Questions faculty may have

Is this a validated SBAR assessment?
No. It is a formative discussion resource. The five judgments help a group make its reasoning visible, but they do not produce a score, benchmark, or claim about competence.
Why does this pack use US-English voices?
This first edition uses US-English voices, role names, and terminology. The communication activity is adaptable to local roles and policy. Educators can register one-tap interest on this page for an India, UK, or Australia edition.
Are my judgments submitted or saved?
No. Your selections remain only in temporary browser state. They are not sent to Lingua CoPilot, compared with other users, or stored after a refresh.
Does the discussion lens teach the correct clinical response?
No. The fixed fictional facts make the communication observable. The activity does not replace local rapid-response criteria, escalation policy, clinical judgment, or faculty-reviewed teaching material.
How long does the activity take?
Allow about 10 minutes for one case and about 40 minutes for all four. Faculty can select one case for a brief teaching moment or pair two cases for comparison.
Can learners use the pack directly?
Yes. Learners can listen and make the same private judgments on their own devices. The pack is most useful when an educator facilitates the reveal, discussion, and replay activity.