The district nurse telephones the GP after leaving Bill”s.
The nurse articulates Bill” holistic assessment outcomes using the SBAR format during her discussion with the GP.
SBAR:
Situation:
Nurse: Bill’s condition has deteriorated at home
GP: Can you remind me of Bills details including his date of birth and tell me more about whats been happening with him?
Background:
Nurse: He has had a recent hospital admission with a chest infection and an exacerbation of heart failure.
GP: Why are you concerned about him?
Nurse: he lives alone, has no social input and has additional co-morbidities.
Assessment:
GP: What’s your assessment of Bill today?
Nurse: He is breathless, tired, unkempt and has reduced mobility and function
Recommendations:
GP: I think I need to come out and see him and I will give you a call once I have met with him.
Nurse: that would be helpful to discuss his future management as Bill has expressed a wish to avoid hospital admission if possible.
Nurse bubble: If Bill stays at home he will need supportive home care.
Pulse point
Using the validated SBAR tool enables information to be shared between professionals succintly to ensure a timely and appropriate response.
NHSScotland: Quality Improvement Hub: SBAR
The New York Heart Association (NYHA) is the gold standard assessment tool commonly used in cardiology to assess the severity of breathlessness in heart failure. Patients will be categorised from NYHA 1-4 depending on their symptoms. See additional information for more information on the NYHA classification.
Page last reviewed: 28 Jul 2020
