Which SBAR component names the recommended course of action to take?

• A. Situation
• B. Background
• C. Assessment
• D. Recommendation

Answer: (D)

The part of SBAR that names the recommended course of action to take is the Recommendation. After you’ve stated the Situation, given the Background, and shared your Assessment, the Recommendation moves the conversation forward by specifying what you think should happen next, who should do it, and by when. This section translates your clinical judgment into concrete steps—such as orders to initiate a treatment, tests to obtain, a referral to make, or a plan for escalation—so the recipient knows exactly what action is expected.

To see how it fits, remember the other parts set the scene: the Situation describes what’s happening right now, the Background provides relevant history or context, and the Assessment conveys your interpretation or concern based on the data. None of those specify the next actions; that’s the purpose of the Recommendation. For example, after outlining a concerning change in a patient’s status, the Recommendation would clearly state the proposed actions (what to do, who should do it, and by when) to address the issue.