Clinical handover to the night registrar station

Colleague-communication stations, including handovers and telephone escalation, test whether you can communicate safely and clearly under pressure. A structured tool like SBAR keeps the conversation focused.

How to structure it (SBAR)

• Situation: identify yourself, the patient and the immediate problem.
• Background: give the relevant clinical context concisely.
• Assessment: state your interpretation of the critical result and your concern.
• Recommendation: make a clear, specific request and agree the plan.

Common pitfalls

• Burying the headline result in background detail.
• Failing to make a clear recommendation.
• Not closing the loop on who does what, and by when.

Examiners reward concise, prioritised handover, an explicit recommendation, and clear shared responsibility for the next step.