Vag prep

[amiss5572]

New grad nurse here with 2 months experience in the OR. So I'm having issues understanding the whole Vag wet prep technique. Every nurse has their own technique and its confusing to me. I find it very difficult to find material online about it as well.

First, this is it is not a clean case, so the same sterile techniques don't apply? I mean, you try to be as sterile as possible, but obviously that area isn't very clean? Some tell me to go up and down and others tell me to go to the side.

I know that this is completely different from prepping an abdomen..

Today also had a TURP that I preped for. So I used the soap first with these hand sponges and I always feel like it's so unsterile. I'm using sterile gloves, but it's impossible to not touch the skin. Then when I get to the prep I use stick sponges and am told it's okay to hold the member, but I feel like my gloves are no longer sterile!! Ahh it's driving me nuts and maybe none of this makes sense to anybody.

If you understand what I'm trying to say or have some good references, please share them.

[birdie22]

Generally speaking, if you are wearing sterile gloves, you can touch the part you just prepped to move it out of the way to continue prepping another area. If you touch an area with sterile gloves, you havent contaminated the body part but you have contaminated your glove on that hang, so you shouldnt touch any other things after you touch a body part. Your other hand can continue to prep out the area. Maybe try a different technique to hold the sponges so you dont touch the skin while you do it.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Are you referring to an internal lady partsl prep or an external perineal prep? The thing about prepping is that you will never be able to actually sterilize skin- the aim is to remove transient flora. Have you consulted the actual prepping policy to see if there is guidance and resources there?