OSCE ISBAR handover
station practice.

What to practise

Practise a telephone escalation, a shift handover or a transfer of care. Prepare a brief opening, relevant background, measured findings and an explicit request. Do not delay emergency assistance to finish a routine call.

This is a preparation category, not a prediction of a particular examination station. Read the candidate instructions and respond to the person and task you are given.

Make your approach clear

• Identify yourself, your location and the patient before discussing the concern.
• Lead with why you are calling now; include relevant trends rather than a long history.
• Ask for an action and timeframe, confirm the plan and document responsibility.

Rehearsal prompt: “I will explain what I am checking, what I have found and what needs to happen next.” Adapt the words to the actual findings; do not memorise a claim you cannot support.

Common ways to lose the thread

• Giving background before the urgent concern.
• Ending with “just letting you know” instead of a request.
• Assuming silence means the plan has been accepted.