The Effect of Structured Communication on Enhancing Nursing Students’ Patient Handover Skills: A Pilot Study

Background: Effective, structured communication among healthcare professionals is essential for patient safety and continuity of care. The SBAR (Situation–Background–Assessment–Recommendation) framework is an internationally recognized method that standardizes clinical information exchange. Although SBAR has been widely used and validated in clinical settings, its integration into undergraduate nursing education remains limited and inconsistent.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of an educational intervention using the SBAR tool on undergraduate nursing students’ ability to deliver structured patient handovers and to explore their attitudes toward its use.

Methods: A pilot experimental study was conducted with 32 seventh-semester nursing students from a university. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (SBAR training) or a control group. Performance was evaluated in a simulated handover scenario based on structure and content. Additionally, completion time and attitudes were assessed via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) and independent samples t-tests were used for data analysis.

Results: The experimental group achieved significantly higher scores in the “Situation” and “Background” components of SBAR, with large effect sizes. Although no statistical significance was found for “Recommendation,” the effect size was moderate. Handover duration was significantly longer in the experimental group, potentially indicating a more analytical approach. Acceptance of the tool was universal, with positive attitudes regarding its usefulness and curricular integration.

Conclusion: Students found the SBAR tool easy to understand, reported fewer errors during simulated handovers, and expressed strong support for its inclusion in undergraduate nursing education.

Keywords: Clinical competence, education, nursing, patient handoff, Situation–Background–Assessment–Recommen-dation, students, undergraduate