Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumCollaboration with Interdisciplinary Team

A nurse is preparing to contact the healthcare provider regarding a client who is 2 days postoperative following a right total knee arthroplasty and suddenly develops acute dyspnea, tachycardia, and a dropping oxygen saturation. The nurse uses the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) communication tool. Arrange the following statements in the correct chronological order as they should be delivered during the report.

  1. 1"This is the primary nurse calling from the surgical unit regarding the client in room 312 who just developed sudden shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate."
  2. 2"The client is a 68-year-old who is postoperative day 2 from a right total knee arthroplasty and has a history of controlled hypertension."
  3. 3"Current vital signs are blood pressure 102/64 mm Hg, heart rate 118 beats/min, respiratory rate 26 breaths/min, and oxygen saturation 89% on room air."
  4. 4"I am concerned the client may have a pulmonary embolism and request that you evaluate the client immediately and prescribe a STAT CT angiogram."

Answer

The correct sequence follows the SBAR format: 1. Situation, 2. Background, 3. Assessment, 4. Recommendation.
The correct sequence perfectly adheres to the SBAR protocol, which is the standard for escalating care to a provider. It begins by stating the immediate Situation, provides the contextual Background, delivers the current clinical Assessment data, and ends with a clear Recommendation for action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the SBAR framework components required for structured interprofessional handoffs.
The components are Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
SBAR is a standardized communication tool used to clearly and accurately relay critical client information.
2
Determine the Situation (S).
The statement introducing the nurse, the location, the specific client, and the acute change in condition (sudden shortness of breath) is placed first.
The provider must immediately know who is calling, about whom, and the core problem.
3
Determine the Background (B).
The statement providing the client's age, surgical status (postoperative day 2 from total knee arthroplasty), and relevant history is placed second.
This provides essential clinical context for the acute change.
4
Determine the Assessment (A).
The statement detailing the most recent vital signs (heart rate 118 beats/min, O2 saturation 89%) and objective data is placed third.
This gives the provider the current clinical data needed to evaluate the severity of the situation.
5
Determine the Recommendation (R).
The statement suggesting a potential diagnosis (pulmonary embolism) and requesting immediate evaluation and diagnostic orders is placed last.
The communication concludes with a clear, actionable request based on the preceding clinical information.

Key Concept

SBAR Interprofessional Communication Model
Rate this question

Topics

Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Team

More questions from this topic