I Broke the Sterile Field Today

Scrubby · Jul 25, 2008

Even the most experienced nurses can break the sterile field. It happens all the time and i would not worry about it. As long as you let people know they should understand.

StarlightRN · Jul 26, 2008

I would never break the sterile field and not tell someone. I know all about sterile conscience. I was just pouring some hibiclens in a cup the tech was holding and broke it, and then when she went to hand me the cup, my finger touched hers. So it was just a cup, hibiclens and another pair of gloves for the tech. I still just felt so stupid. I guess b/c I'm new, I want to make sure I do everything right, and don't want to look too stupid. :nurse:

Scrubby · Jul 26, 2008

What you described happens all the time. Some items are really small and when you hand them to your scrug/scout sometimes you just can't help it. Changing gloves is really no big deal, I'm sure your work mates would understand :)

ewattsjt · Jul 26, 2008

scrubby is right. something like that is no big deal and sometimes happens. the main thing about breaks is that you recognize a break when it occurs so it can be corrected.

sometimes even the surgeon causes a break. not long ago, a surgeon that i most always assist for was doing a case. i was not in the room but had to enter to give anesthesia some of their charts. i held out my hand for the surgeon to turn his gown and he slapped the end in my hand with his hand (like we were both sterile). he laughed and said it was my fault because i wasn’t scrubbed. lol my point is that a surgeon can make such a simple break—you can too, so don’t let it bother you.

MsLeylaBar · Jul 26, 2008

No biggie, please don't feel stupid, we all do it at one time or another.

ShariDCST · Jul 26, 2008

i'm new to the or, and broke the sterile field today. it was something simple and a quick fix. nothing like a whole table or anything. i know it happens, but i just feel really bad about it. i was just wondering how you felt the first time you broke the sterile field.

you do know of course that you are allowed one sterile field break in your career, and then you're toast, right? :wink2: not!!

we make mistakes. it's a given - even - gasp! :no: - yes, in medicine! the biggest thing is that since you feel bad about it, that tells me that you are very aware of what happened, that you've learned from it and won't repeat the mistake again. maybe you'll make a different one next time - but not a repeat of this one!

i'm teasing you of course - it'll happen. it happens to all of us. it happens even when someone else tells you in so many words not to do what you did. it happens.

to quote a brillant philosopher (of my own choosing) - "life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." no truer words were ever spoken, imho.

i honestly do not recall the first time i did it - it was ages ago i'm sure - but to give you an example of a very "duh" moment - i was working on my first job with a very experienced tech, and we were opening a lap chole case. she and i were chatting - we had done this dozens of times already - and we were throwing out supplies. she was throwing her stuff into a basin and was almost done with all of it - but at the last item, she tossed the trocar in the trash bag, and the wrapper in the basin!! she stopped - i stopped - we looked at each other horrified :eek: - and she wanted to crawl in a hole :banghead: . all we could do was replace what was in the basin - and the basin of course - and go on. we took the "contaminated" items to the or supervisor and showed her what happened and why it was all going into the trash. she felt so horrible about it already, the supervisor just looked at her, patted her on the shoulder and told her to take a break and then go scrub that case! no dressing down, no harsh comments - it happens. it was an expensive lesson and she never ever forgot it - and neither did i! i've seen surgeons with years of experience behind them do "duh" stuff - nurses who are older than methuselah make booboos - it's just a human thing.

i had a new surgical resident come into my open room one time, and decide that even though we had already told him i had all the gowns and gloves i needed for everyone, i must not have had enough to suit him. so, he goes down the hallway to the supply room and fetches back a sterile cloth gown for himself. he carefully peeled back the wrapper, and laid the entire package - wrapper and all - on my sterile open table that was all set up for the case about to begin (the patient was in the room already - i had stepped out to go potty before we started). i came back in and saw that laying there :banghead: and said in an almost loud voice - who put this thing on my table???? he was standing nearby looking very pleased with himself until he heard me. he turned around to see what i was obviously upset about and saw the steam rolling out of my ears :angryfire he asked what i meant - and i pointed to the offending item laying smack dab in the middle of my setup. he got a surprised look - like he was surprised i would ask - and said he did. i beckoned him closer and told him in his ear that he had managed to contaminate my entire table with his ignorance, and that i would have to take down and redo the whole thing - with 5 minutes to go before the case was to begin! he asked could he help - i told him to just stay out of my way. i got the table cleared and replaced in record time, and after the case he came over and apologized profusely. i told him that i knew he was sorry, and i also knew that he would never, ever do anything boneheaded like that again, and i was counting on it! if he learned from it to listen when he was told what not to do and to learn how to dispense a sterile item on a sterile table, then i would consider it a wash, and offered to show him how. he not only stayed and helped me clean the room - which i usually had to do alone - i showed him how when i opened the next case up, and he did learn from it. i ran into him about a year later, and he remembered me and his experience, and he thanked me again for being so tolerant and for taking the time to teach him a lesson he never forgot!

learn from it and never do it again!! :yeah:

relax - you'll be fine..........