Effectiveness of the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation method in emergencies with simulation-based education for nursing and paramedic students

Introduction

Effective handover skills play a crucial role in communication between pre-hospital and hospital staff. However, nursing and paramedic students rarely have the opportunity to practice them.

Objective

Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) method in emergency settings using simulation-based education for nursing and paramedic students.

Methods

We conducted a single-group quasi-experimental study involving 39 nursing and 42 paramedic students. The students’ patient handover skills were evaluated through simulation-based training using a structured handover method. Data were collected using the Personal Data Form, Patient Handover Information Form, Patient Handover Skill Evaluation Form, and Video Observation and Evaluation Form. For data analysis, we used the Mann–Whitney U test, the Friedman test, the Cohen’s kappa coefficient, and the Pearson correlation test.

Results

The knowledge scores of nursing (N) and paramedic (P) students (N: 16 [11–20]; P: 15 [10–19] pre-training) increased post-training (N: 18 [15–20]; P: 18 [10–21]), post-simulation (N: 18 [14–21]; P: 17 [13–20]), and one-month after the post-simulation (N: 18 [14–21]; P: 17 [14–20]). The group participants, 50%, received scores between 12.50 and 16.25 and acquired medium handover skills.

Conclusion

We found that theoretical education and simulation-based applications were effective in enhancing students’ knowledge level of handover processes, which are critical for patient safety, and that simulation supported their learning. It is recommended that patient handover training be conducted using simulation-based methods with different student groups, integrated into educational curricula, and updated regularly.