SBAR-1
This standardized communication framework organizes clinical information into Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
SBAR
An RT calls a provider and immediately states the patient's name and location, identifies the reason for the call, and describes the acute respiratory problem occurring right now. Which SBAR component should this opening communication represent?
Situation
Sender, message, channel, receiver, and this final component make up the five basic components of communication.
Feedback
This foundational component of emotional intelligence involves recognizing your own emotions, understanding how they affect your behavior and relationships, and realistically recognizing your strengths and weaknesses.
Self-Awareness
Digital platforms that allow users to create and share content, interact with others, and build online communities are collectively known as this.
Social media
Status of the patient, Team members, Environment, and Progress make up this situational-awareness framework.
STEP
After communicating the patient's current problem, relevant history, and objective respiratory assessment, the RT states: “I think we should evaluate the patient at bedside now, obtain a repeat ABG, and consider escalation to noninvasive ventilation.” Which SBAR component is being demonstrated?
Recommendation
An RT is calling about a patient with worsening oxygenation. Which information is most appropriate to include in the Background?
A. The patient's entire medical history
B. Relevant diagnosis, baseline oxygen requirement, and recent respiratory course
C. Only the patient's current SpO₂ and respiratory rate
D. The RT's recommendation for escalating respiratory support
B — Relevant diagnosis, baseline oxygen requirement, and recent respiratory course
After receiving a critical lab value, the RT records the result, repeats it along with two patient identifiers, and waits for the sender to confirm that the information is correct. What communication process is being used?
Read-back process
Represented by the “fox,” this conflict style seeks a middle ground where each person gives up something in order to reach a solution.
Compromising
An RT deletes a post shortly after publishing it, but screenshots of the post continue to circulate among coworkers. Which core principle of social media does this demonstrate?
Persistence
This leadership quality involves acting without waiting to be told, identifying what needs to be done, and taking appropriate action within your role.
Initiative
A nurse begins a call by saying, “I’m calling about Mr. Jones in room 101. His SpO₂ has fallen to 84% despite being on 6 L/min.” Which SBAR component is this?
Situation
An RT reports: “The patient is on 0.60 FiO₂. SpO₂ is 87%, respiratory rate is 36/min with accessory muscle use, breath sounds are diminished bilaterally, and the most recent ABG shows PaO₂ 54 mmHg.” The RT then immediately asks the provider to come evaluate the patient.
What SBAR component was demonstrated by the objective findings?
Assessment
Bringing people with different backgrounds and perspectives into an organization is diversity. This concept ensures those perspectives are integrated and individuals are empowered to fully participate and contribute.
Inclusion
A patient had a disagreement with an RT earlier in their hospitalization. Several days later, neither brings up the incident and interactions remain polite, but the patient is still resentful and the underlying issue was never actually addressed. The conflict appears to be “water under the bridge,” but has actually become this type of conflict.
Cold conflict
Healthcare professionals must navigate both a personal identity and a professional identity online. Your slides use this term to describe the responsibility of participating in both worlds while still maintaining professional standards.
Dual citizen
While management focuses on structure, processes, and maintaining operations, this focuses more on influencing others, creating direction, and driving change.
Leadership
The RT reports: “Respiratory rate is 34/min with accessory muscle use, SpO₂ is 88% on 6 L/min nasal cannula, breath sounds are diminished bilaterally with right-sided crackles, and the most recent ABG is 7.31/52/58/25.” Which SBAR component is being communicated?
Assessment
You are the RT caring for a patient admitted with pneumonia. Two hours ago, the patient was on 3 L/min nasal cannula with an SpO₂ of 94%. They now require 6 L/min to maintain an SpO₂ of 90%, RR has increased from 20 to 32/min, and they have developed accessory muscle use.
Which finding is most important to emphasize when communicating the patient's change in condition?
The increasing oxygen requirement, rising respiratory rate, and new accessory muscle use
During patient education, an RT notices the patient is nodding and saying “yes,” but is unsure whether the patient actually understands the instructions. Rather than assuming understanding, the RT asks the patient to explain the information back in their own words. What communication technique is being used?
Teach-back
A patient repeatedly refuses BiPAP because the mask makes them anxious. Instead of forcing the issue or simply accepting the refusal, the RT discusses the patient’s concerns and works with them to find an approach that addresses the anxiety while still attempting to meet the treatment goal. Which conflict-resolution style is being demonstrated?
Confronting / Collaborating (Owl)
Unlike privacy, which focuses on an individual’s control over their personal information, this refers to the responsibility to protect information from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Confidentiality
Urgency, severity, trajectory, and available resources are four considerations used when determining this when multiple needs occur simultaneously.
Prioritization
An RT reports: “The patient was admitted yesterday with multifocal pneumonia. They have no baseline oxygen requirement, have a history of COPD, and were on 2 L/min nasal cannula at the beginning of the shift. Oxygen requirements have progressively increased over the last four hours.” Which SBAR component is being communicated?
Background
An RT calls a provider and reports:
“I'm calling about Mr. Jackson in room 1102 because his oxygen requirement has increased rapidly. He was admitted yesterday with pneumonia, normally uses no oxygen at home, and was on 2 L/min nasal cannula this morning. He is now on 6 L/min with an SpO₂ of 86%, respiratory rate of 34/min, increased work of breathing, and bilateral crackles. I recommend that you evaluate him now and that we consider escalation of respiratory support.”
Identify the information representing Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
Situation: Rapidly increasing oxygen requirement/current respiratory concern
Background: Admitted with pneumonia, no baseline O₂ requirement, previously on 2 L/min
Assessment: 6 L/min, SpO₂ 86%, RR 34/min, increased WOB, bilateral crackles
Recommendation: Provider evaluation now and consideration of escalation of respiratory support
Plant, Coordinator, Monitor/Evaluator, Implementer, Completer/Finisher, Resource Investigator, Shaper, Team Worker, and Specialist are all part of this framework used to describe the different contributions individuals make within a team.
Belbin’s Team Roles
A patient becomes angry after waiting for a respiratory treatment and says, “Nobody here cares that I can’t breathe.” The RT initially feels defensive because they were responding to an emergency elsewhere, but recognizes that reaction, controls it, listens to the patient's concerns, acknowledges the patient's frustration, and works to restore a productive interaction.
Which three emotional intelligence competencies are demonstrated?
After caring for a patient involved in a highly publicized accident, an RT posts about the case without using the patient's name, photograph, or room number. The post includes the patient's age, circumstances of the accident, and respiratory treatment provided. The RT argues that the post is acceptable because the patient's name was removed.
What is the major problem with that reasoning?
Removing the patient's name alone does not necessarily de-identify the information. Other details may still allow the patient to be identified.
This concept is defined as the impression you create through how you prepare, communicate, present yourself, and interact with others—and does not require a certain personality or leadership title.
Professional presence