Sterile Gloving Procedure

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Question about sterile gloves...

Are the folded-over cuffs considered non-sterile even before they've touched skin? So if you have on one glove, is the cuff of the other clove non sterile even before you pick it up?

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

We were taught that yes, the cuffs are unsterile from the get-go. If they weren't, what would be te rationale for only sticking your already gloved hand underneath the cuff on the sterile side? You could just put it on clean-glove style.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
We were taught that yes the cuffs are unsterile from the get-go. If they weren't, what would be te rationale for only sticking your already gloved hand underneath the cuff on the sterile side?[/quote']

The rationale for that is that you put your sterile glove under the cuff to protect the sterile glove from your unsterile skin.

The entire package is sterile.

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

The rationale for that is that you put your sterile glove under the cuff to protect the sterile glove from your unsterile skin.

The entire package is sterile.

There's a difference between literally sterile and what we're taught to consider unsterile. This is our "gloving technique" info from our clinical textbook.

Gloving:

Inside of package is sterile.

Peel package open and be sure all other needed packages are open before gloving and hands will not need to go outside of sterile field.

Pull inside package open using folded over part of wrapper in the center. Avoid touching the inner surface of this wrapper. Pull hard enough to keep wrapper open. Wrapper will re-close if not pulled far enough.

Inside of gloves are considered unsterile; hands may touch insides of gloves, but not the outside. Outside of one glove may touch outside of the other but not skin or inside of glove.

Reach carefully, sliding one hand into glove. With the other hand, pull on the inside surface of glove until fingers are in. Do not try to pull first glove all of the way on, do not try to adjust glove!

With gloved hand scoop underneath fold in remaining glove so that the outside of gloved hand makes contact with the outside of the remaining glove.

Place remaining hand into glove and pull all of the way on with gloved hand, only touching outside of glove.

Then, touching only outside surfaces of gloves, perform final adjustments.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

There's a difference between literally sterile and what we're taught to consider unsterile. This is our "gloving technique" info from our clinical textbook.

Gloving:

Inside of package is sterile.

Peel package open and be sure all other needed packages are open before gloving and hands will not need to go outside of sterile field.

Pull inside package open using folded over part of wrapper in the center. Avoid touching the inner surface of this wrapper. Pull hard enough to keep wrapper open. Wrapper will re-close if not pulled far enough.

Inside of gloves are considered unsterile; hands may touch insides of gloves, but not the outside. Outside of one glove may touch outside of the other but not skin or inside of glove.

Reach carefully, sliding one hand into glove. With the other hand, pull on the inside surface of glove until fingers are in. Do not try to pull first glove all of the way on, do not try to adjust glove!

With gloved hand scoop underneath fold in remaining glove so that the outside of gloved hand makes contact with the outside of the remaining glove.

Place remaining hand into glove and pull all of the way on with gloved hand, only touching outside of glove.

Then, touching only outside surfaces of gloves, perform final adjustments.

The insides are "considered" unsterile because they contact the unsterile skin. They are themselves sterile until they contact something unsterile.

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

The insides are "considered" unsterile because they contact the unsterile skin. They are themselves sterile until they contact something unsterile.

No, we're not allowed to touch the inside of the glove, period, before or after it comes in contact with skin. I think it's a sort of brainwashing technique.

Specializes in Home health, psych.

I may be misunderstanding but it seems the problem per the instructor in OP was also the "airspace" above the glove. I was also taught that way that at no point can you cross over your sterile field bc "microscopic droplets could fall onto the sterile gloves".

UGH! My friend failed her catheter checkoff today because as she was picking up the second glove, her gloved thumb crossed into the airspace of the cuff as it was still sitting in the packaging. The second glove hadn't come into contact with her skin yet.

The instructor, who isn't one of our normal instructors (I'd never seen her before) told her that the folded cuffs are not considered non sterile from the very beginning.

Sounds like the "not so normal" instructor didn't pay attention to what makes a sterile field.

When you fold back the paper to the gloves, EVERYTHING inside is sterile...100%.

If you are right handed, you pick up the glove by the cuff with your left hand, slip it on your right hand...then you can touch with the sterile glove ANYWHERE on the left glove where you can reasonably get it on..you just have to make sure your finger holds the cuff back until it's secured enough to get on.

The instructor is a nurse wannabe. Makes me wonder if she ever had a real job.

Specializes in Neuro Intensive Care.
We were taught that yes the cuffs are unsterile from the get-go. If they weren't, what would be te rationale for only sticking your already gloved hand underneath the cuff on the sterile side? You could just put it on clean-glove style.[/quote']

You place your fingers under the cuff so when you go to place the glove, your already sterile glove hand does not come in contact with your skin. If you put it on regular glove style, then you would compromise the first glove that was just placed

I got marked off for something similar during my competency, but in my case I crossed the field over a gauze. That video comes close, but maintaining the field also include not crossing the field. Parts of the field are also considered non-sterile, in the case of the gloves it is the inner most part of the gloves, but this doesn't happen until it is touched. The rules of sterility, are the most anal retentive part of nursing school. But it sounds like the instructor was being a bit too... well I will leave it at that.

Specializes in Pedi.
No, we're not allowed to touch the inside of the glove, period, before or after it comes in contact with skin. I think it's a sort of brainwashing technique.

Well whoever is teaching you that is giving you incorrect information. The rationale for not touching the inside of the second glove is that you might accidentally touch your skin (which is dirty) with the gloved, sterile hand. You CAN however touch the inside of the second glove and still maintain sterile technique because everything inside the package is sterile. It's not possible to have a sterile package wherein only some of the contents are sterile.

Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Ha! I noticed that the cuff of that second glove in the video was conveniently folded up and away from the rest of the glove, making it very easy to slip her gloved hand under the cuff. I'd like to see her do that with a pair of purple vinyl gloves that some in the suctioning kit all stuck together...

I see that a trend here seems to be that nursing students think the cuff is considered unsterile, and those who are practicing nurses know that the entire glove is sterile, and it's okay to touch the outside of the cuff without breaking the sterile field.

You place your fingers under the cuff so when you go to place the glove, your already sterile glove hand does not come in contact with your skin. If you put it on regular glove style, then you would compromise the first glove that was just placed

That's how I learned to do it

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