Dressing packs should be opened using minimal touch (touching the corners only – Fig 2) to reduce the risk of contaminating any of the equipment inside. The opened dressing pack is often referred to as the 'sterile field'.
-Grasp the tip of the top flap of the package and with arm positioned away from the sterile field, unfold the top flap away from the body. -Grasp the last flap and turn in down toward the body. -Open next to the sterile by holding the bottom edge with one hand and pulling back on the top flap with the other hand.
A sterile field is required for all invasive procedures to prevent the transfer of microorganisms and reduce the potential for surgical site infections. Sterile fields can be created in the OR using drapes, or at the bedside using a prepackaged set of supplies for a sterile procedure or wound care.
Sterile supplies should be opened and set-up as close to the time of surgery as possible and for one surgery only.
Sterile objects can become non-sterile by prolonged exposure to airborne microorganisms. 6. Any puncture, moisture, or tear that passes through a sterile barrier must be considered contaminated. Keep sterile surface dry and replace if wet or torn.
When adding solutions to a sterile field, pour: A small amount into a waste receptacle first to cleanse the lip of the bottle.
Clean technique involves meticulous handwashing, maintaining a clean environment by preparing a clean field, using clean gloves and sterile instruments, and preventing direct contamination of materials and supplies. No “sterile to sterile†rules apply. This technique may also be referred to as non-sterile.
ERS means that once an item has been sterilized, it remains sterile until something occurs that contaminates it. If somebody touches it or an unsterile surface touches it or another vector comes in contact with the sterile item, it becomes contaminated, Conner explains. Air currents can contain airborne contaminants.
What should you do if you spill solution on a sterile field? You've contaminated, so you must restart the procedure and wipe it up with a sterile towel. What part of sterile gloves are considered contaminated? On the inside, or the side that goes against the skin.
Cover the sterile field.The sterile field may be covered with the two-“cuffedâ€-drape method or with a drape designed for the purposes of covering a sterile field.
Open the proximal flap by touching only the corner, then lifting the flap up and pulling it toward you, allowing it to drop over the edge of the counter or table. The proximal flap is the one closest to your body. Avoid touching the inside of the wrapper or the contents of the package.
When setting up a sterile field, the nurse opens a sterile package prepared by the facility. Which action would the nurse take first? Unfold the top flap away from the body.
The correct sequence is wash hands, secure hair, apply hair cover, apply mask, don protective eyewear, and apply sterile gloves.
4. When preparing a sterile field using a prepackaged sterile kit, what will influence the nurse's placement of the kit on the overbed table? Tips of the flaps are easily accessible. Kit is positioned in the center of the table.
Changing the Dressing
- Put on the mask.
- Wash your hands.
- Put on clean gloves.
- Remove the old dressing including the CHG-impregnated disc and any extra tape. Loosen the outer edges and pull toward the catheter exit site.
- Check the exit site for redness, swelling or drainage.
- Open the dressing change kit.
The nurse disposes of the gloves together, not one at a time. When opening a pre‑packaged kit to prepare a sterile field, which would be important to keep in mind? The inner surface of the outer wrapper is considered sterile.
