SBAR
Writing an SBAR with an Executive Summary
SBAR – Situation – Background – Assessment – Recommendation:
The SBAR is a tool to guide critical thinking and record each step. The format of each section will capture the details of critical information that is included in problem definition, problem analysis, and problem-solving.
For more information, watch the following video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR-S8UUAG6Y&feature=youtu.be
Executive Summary
The executive summary is a summarized paragraph of a detailed report. The intent is to allow a healthcare executive to quickly read and understand the main points of the analysis. An executive summary is a condensed version of the report so that the reader can understand the scope in a short amount of time. An executive summary shouldn’t be an introduction; you should be able to read it separately from the report as a stand-alone document.
Style of the SBAR and Executive Summary
The style and tone of the SBAR and Executive Summary are formal and directed at a leadership audience. Sentences should be concise, direct, use bias-free language, and use an active voice. Writing quality matters as you lose credibility when you have writing mistakes.
General Formatting:
- Double-space document
- Use 1″ margins on all sides and .5″ indents for new paragraphs
- Use 12 point, Times New Roman font
- Include a page header (the title of your paper) and a page number on the top of each page
- The title page is not required unless specifically identified in the assignment
- Each section of the SBAR should have a section title (i.e. Executive Summary, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)
Citation
Outside resources are not required but if they are used, the APA approach will be used for in-text citations (author, date) and a reference page. Use the following guide for formatting in-text citations and reference section Sample_APA_Paper__103017 copy-1.pdf.
The SBAR format with Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Write this section after you complete the SBAR, you should understand the SBAR’s purpose, scope, and major ideas. Highlight the main ideas of each section. Pull the major ideas together and condense them by combining sentences, generalizing, and eliminating unnecessary words and phrases. Use transition words to link phrases. When the summary includes the main points of the SBAR, proofread and edit to improve grammar and eliminate sentence-level errors.
Situation
This includes the definition of the problem that is being analyzed. If the assignment has a question proposed, paraphrase the problem in your own word to verify agreement with the meaning. One of the ways to define the problem is to describe the gap in a gap analysis. Another way is to identify what the customer wants. Another approach is to define the problem using a problem statement, using examples to personalize the gap or the “pain” of the issue. This section should clearly identify to the reader what the problem is and why we need to fix it.
Background
This section includes any information that the reader needs to understand the problem. This may include what is in-scope and what is out-of-scope. This provides boundaries and a level of magnitude. Any subjective or objective data needs to be included here. If the problem involves data analytics, data sources, measurements, collection methods, and operational definitions need to be included. Any factors that impact or contribute to the problem should be identified here.
Assessment
This section is the analysis of the problem. This includes any tests or theories used to examine the available data. For example, this can be where different options are compared, like a “pros and cons” list. If this problem is data analytics, statistical or graphical methods can identify significant factors that impact the problem. This can also be used for root cause analysis to identify the source of the issue. This section can also be used to evaluate the facts using an identified theory or tool.
Recommendation
Use divergent and convergent methods for problem-solving. Before writing, brainstorming, mind-mapping, or other creative approaches can be used to build a list of possible solutions, followed by convergent methods such as prioritizing to identify the best solution. Use this section to define recommendations that have been inspired using problem-solving methods and identify how the best ones resolve the original problem.