OASIS Alert

Published on Sat May 01, 2010 PDF

A little practice goes a long way when discussing patient care.

Just talking about physician communication or handing staffers a calling tool isn't enough to ensure they are prepared to discuss patient care.

Use this practical sample scenario to help staff members gain confidence when picking up the phone:

Tip: Consider the other scenarios your staffers will likely run into, and then develop a scenario sheet to help them practice using the SBAR tool on page 54 to communicate those concerns with physicians.

Scenario: A clinician named Helen visits Mrs. Elmer two times per week to help her bathe. During a Wednesday visit, Helen notices Mrs. Elmer is increasingly short of breath as she makes her way to the bathroom.

When Helen asks about any breathing difficulties, Mrs. Elmer responds that she has been short of breath since the night before. She also states that when she weighed herself that morning, she had gained two pounds. Helen sits Mrs. Elmer in a chair and calls the primary physician to find out how she should proceed. How would you fill in the Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations for this scenario?

Here's how Med QIC suggests you use the SBAR:

If your staffers didn't respond the same way as the answer key, discuss their answers and determine whether their solutions would work. Explain how the responses fit your agency's policies and procedures.