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SBAR: Post-Operative Concern

Call a busy surgical resident to report a concerning change in a post-operative patient's drain output.

  1. 1
    Review Clinical Case
  2. 2
    Patient Encounter
  3. 3
    Self Evaluation(optional)
  4. 4
    Feedback

Review Clinical Case

1. Learning: SBAR for Surgical Complications

Purpose of this Scenario

Communicating with surgical teams requires a particular focus on brevity and data. This simulation is designed to help you practice using SBAR to report a potential post-operative complication to a busy surgical resident. The goal is to convey the urgency of the situation with clear, objective data, allowing the surgeon to make a quick and informed decision.

2. Scenario Briefing

Your Objective

You are the nurse on a surgical floor. You've just noticed a sudden, concerning change in your post-operative patient's JP drain. Your objective is to call the on-call surgical resident, Dr. Jones, and use SBAR to communicate this change and recommend that the patient be evaluated immediately.

Patient Background

Your patient is a 60-year-old man who is Post-Op Day 1 from a complex abdominal surgery (a Whipple procedure). He has a Jackson-Pratt (JP) surgical drain in place.

The Challenge: The surgical resident is likely busy or in another procedure. You must be able to concisely articulate why this concern cannot wait.

Key Clinical Data

  • The Change: For the past 8 hours, the JP drain has been putting out about 20cc/hour of serosanguinous (pinkish) fluid. When you just checked, you found that it has put out 200cc of bright red, bloody fluid in the last hour.
  • Vital Signs: The patient's heart rate has increased from the 80s to 110. His blood pressure has dropped from 120/80 to 95/60.
  • Your Assessment: You are concerned the patient has a significant post-operative bleed.

Find a quiet spot with a good internet connection. Speak naturally — it’s fine to pause to think.