Global

Structured clinical handover and escalation using SBAR for nursing teams

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 13 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
35 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At induction, at competency validation, and annually
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Escalation and speaking up
What would you do?

You have called twice about a patient who is worsening and had no clear response

Try it: this is one of 19 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 35 minutes
  • Process, flashcards, tabs, sorting activity and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, word cloud, poll, scale slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 317.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessmentNoneWhole course
SO 317.1Explain why handovers fail and what a good handover containsExamples: The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals (hand-off communication); best practiceWhole course
SO 317.2Structure a handover or an escalation call in SBAR (or your local variant) and put the elements in order + your infoExamples: TeamSTEPPS; best practiceWhole course
SO 317.3Carry out a bedside handover that involves the patient and protects confidentiality + your infoExamples: The Code (NMC); HIPAA Privacy Rule; best practiceWhole course
SO 317.4Escalate a concern using the local early warning score and speak up with a structured phrase if you are not heard + your infoExamples: National Early Warning Score 2 (Royal College of Physicians); TeamSTEPPS; best practiceWhole course
SO 317.5Use read-back and closed-loop communication and hand over at transitions such as theatre to recoveryExamples: WHO High 5s; best practiceWhole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 13 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 35 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why handover fails and what good looks like

3 pages

7 min
Before you beginNoteList
Shift change on Ward 4TextImageChecklist
What good looks likeKey factFlashcardsQuiz
2

SBAR and ISBAR

3 pages

6 min
The four partsTabsNote
Put the call in orderSorting activity
Match the partMatching quiz
3

Bedside handover

3 pages

6 min
Six steps at the bedsideProcess
Privacy and dignityAccordionNote
Spot the gapSorting activityQuiz
4

Escalation and speaking up

3 pages

6 min
Escalation routineProcessYour infoNote
If you are not heardTabsYour info
ScenarioScenarioQuiz
5

Closed loop and transitions

3 pages

6 min
Read-backFlashcardsMatching quiz
ScenarioScenarioQuiz
Who to tellProcessYour infoYour infoYour infoYour infoButtonYour info
6

Final assessment

2 pages

4 min
PracticeQuiz
CompletionKey factListNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "a good handover keeps the next person safe" (speaker notes: template page URL)
Word cloudOne word for a handover that went wrong
PollWhat is hardest for you? (Being concise · Being heard · Remembering the structure · Handing over at the bedside)
ContentSBAR in four lines and the escalation routine in brief
QuizYou called twice about a worsening patient and had no clear reply. You…" (Restate your concern and escalate ✔ · Wait for the next check · Tell the next shift only · Assume they are busy)
QuizWhich part of a handover is most often missed?" (What is unresolved or pending ✔ · Name · Ward · Bed)
Content · customiseCustomise: our handover structure, escalation route and early warning score" with {{LOCAL_HANDOVER_TOOL}}, {{ESCALATION_ROUTE}}, {{EARLY_WARNING_SCORE_CHART}}
ScaleHow confident are you escalating with SBAR?" 1 to 5
Open-ended / Q&AA handover situation I would like to talk through
Content · customiseClosing {{CLINICAL_EDUCATION_CONTACT}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How confident are you speaking up if you are not heard? 1-5 scale
  6. Which change have you tried? multiple choice
  7. What barrier have you met in trying it? short text
  8. I can speak up about a safety concern without fear of blame. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the local handover and escalation policy? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

13 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Clinical education contact{{CLINICAL_EDUCATION_CONTACT}}
  • Local policy link{{LOCAL_POLICY_LINK}}
  • Incident reporting route{{INCIDENT_REPORTING_ROUTE}}
  • Escalation route{{ESCALATION_ROUTE}}
  • Regulator and standards{{REGULATOR_AND_STANDARDS}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
Show all 13 fields
  • Local handover tool{{LOCAL_HANDOVER_TOOL}}
  • Early warning score chart{{EARLY_WARNING_SCORE_CHART}}
  • Confidentiality policy link{{CONFIDENTIALITY_POLICY_LINK}}
  • Survey 1 URL{{SURVEY_1_URL}}
  • Survey 2 URL{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run structured clinical handover and escalation using SBAR for nursing teams training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At induction, at competency validation, and annually.

Who needs this training?

Registered nurses, healthcare assistants and student nurses in hospital wards, recovery units and care homes; run by the nurse educator or clinical education lead responsible for onboarding and competency validation.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck