While the SBAR tool was designed for use between nurses and physicians, a
review of the literature regarding SBAR, communication, and patient safety supports use
of the tool outside of nurse-physician scenarios. In addition to the enhancement of nursephysician exchanges, use of the SBAR tool also promotes perception of effective
communication and advances the safety culture of healthcare organizations, resulting in
an increased willingness of healthcare providers to utilize the tool based on the
confidence that use of SBAR produces real effects on patient safety. The standardization
of communication with the SBAR tool regardless of the profession, level of hierarchy, or
years of experience of the user also promotes effective, accurate, and clear
communication, furthering the benefits produced by implementation of the SBAR tool.
Conclusion
When the IOM report To Err is Human was published, light was shed on the
number of individuals inadvertently harmed by errors occurring in the healthcare field
and the role that faulty systemic processes played in the incidence of such errors (IOM,
2000). In addition to the recognition that individuals ought not to be blamed for mistakes
resulting from errors in systemic design, a call for change in the healthcare system was
included in the IOM report (IOM, 2000). Rather than placing blame on the individuals
making the mistakes, members in the healthcare field as a whole should work towards
making systemic changes; thereby, creating a just culture in which the root cause of the
error is analyzed and addressed, leading to lasting and effective change (IOM, 2000).
While much progress has been made since the publication of the IOM report, errors in
communication continue to be a contributing factor in adverse patient events in
healthcare systems. The systemic nature of this problem of miscommunication between