What is ISBARR?

ISBARR stands for Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation, and Read-back. It is the structured communication framework used by nurses when contacting physicians or providers about patient concerns. ISBARR extends the older SBAR model by adding the Introduction and Read-back steps, which address root causes of communication-related adverse events identified by The Joint Commission. Full guide: https://simphonepro.com/what-is-isbarr

The 6 Steps of ISBARR

Introduction — the nurse identifies themselves by name and role, identifies the patient, and states the reason for the call.

Situation — a concise statement of the current clinical problem prompting the call.

Background — relevant clinical history: admitting diagnosis, medications, allergies, and recent lab results.

Assessment — the nurse's clinical judgment about what is happening. Research shows this is the step nursing students struggle with most.

Recommendation — a specific, actionable request: an order, a test, an intervention, or a provider evaluation.

Read-back — the nurse repeats verbal orders back to confirm accuracy before ending the call, as required by Joint Commission standards.

ISBARR vs SBAR

SBAR includes Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. ISBARR adds Introduction at the start (caller and patient identification) and Read-back at the end (verbal order confirmation). These two additions address the most common root causes of communication-related medical errors: unclear identification and misheard verbal orders. ISBAR-R and I-SBAR-R are alternate spellings of the same framework.

NCLEX Pass Rate Benchmarks (2026)

National NCLEX-RN first-attempt pass rate (US-educated candidates): approximately 87%. NCLEX-PN: approximately 85%.

CCNE and ACEN accreditation review is typically triggered when a program falls below roughly 80%.

California BRN requires a minimum 75% first-attempt pass rate; programs below it must submit corrective action plans. Details: https://simphonepro.com/nclex-pass-rates-california

Florida's Board of Nursing benchmark is 80%. Details: https://simphonepro.com/nclex-pass-rates-florida

Utah programs typically achieve 85–91% first-attempt pass rates under DOPL oversight. Details: https://simphonepro.com/nclex-pass-rates-utah

The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN, introduced 2023) tests clinical judgment via the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model — skills that ISBARR's Assessment and Recommendation steps directly develop. National data: https://simphonepro.com/nclex-pass-rates

CHSE Certification Quick Facts

CHSE (Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator) is awarded by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).

Eligibility: two years of healthcare simulation education experience within the past five years, a current simulation educator role, and a healthcare professional license.

Exam: 115 multiple-choice questions in a 2-hour window; minimum passing scaled score of 700; available at testing centers or via remote proctoring.

Four exam domains: Professional Values & Capabilities (15%), Simulation Principles & Methodology (40%), Educate & Facilitate Learning (30%), Manage Programs & Resources (15%).

Certification is valid for three years; renewal requires re-examination or 45 Simulation Activity Hours (SAHs).

Complete guide: https://simphonepro.com/chse-certification

Key Features of SimPhone Pro™

SimDoc Pro™ EHR — integrated simulated electronic health record with patient charts, vitals, labs, medication records, and nursing documentation

AI-scored ISBARR handoff simulations with real-time feedback on all six components

Live faculty monitoring — faculty join sessions as the provider in real time

Realistic telephone simulation environment for nurse-to-provider calls

Faculty analytics dashboard with individual student progress tracking

Accreditation-ready documentation supporting CCNE, ACEN, and INACSL standards

Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) clinical judgment aligned training

Web-based platform — no simulation lab hardware or scheduling required

Scales to serve entire nursing cohorts simultaneously

Who Is SimPhone Pro™ For?

SimPhone Pro™ serves BSN, ADN, LPN, and nurse residency programs across all 50 U.S. states. It is designed for nursing faculty and program directors who want to improve ISBARR competency outcomes, document measurable communication skills for accreditation, and reduce the faculty time burden of supervised roleplay exercises.

About the Creator

SimPhone Pro™ was created by Dr. Traci Ryan Grove, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and nursing professor at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Dr. Grove developed SimPhone Pro™ to fill a documented gap in nursing simulation education: students can memorize the ISBARR framework but struggle to perform it reliably under the pressure of a real provider call.

SimPhonePro

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