Preparing and Maintaining a Sterile Field
Key Points
- Sterile technique requires continuous contamination prevention from setup through procedure completion.
- Hand hygiene, clean dry surfaces, and in-date intact supplies are required before opening sterile items.
- The 1 in (2.5 cm) package border is considered unsterile and must not be used as a sterile working area.
Equipment
- Sterile package or kit with intact seal and valid expiration date
- Clean, dry work surface
- Sterile gloves (with backup pair available)
- Sterile bowl/tray and sterile solution when needed
Procedure Steps
- Perform hand hygiene before beginning any sterile setup activity.
- Prepare a clean, dry workspace and gather all needed supplies within reach.
- Verify sterile package integrity and expiration date before opening.
- Open package on clean dry surface with flaps oriented correctly, maintaining awareness that outside wrapper and 1 in (2.5 cm) border are unsterile.
- Don sterile gloves using cuff-touch-only method while keeping hands above waist and in visual field.
- Maintain direct line of sight to the sterile field at all times; if field is not visible, consider sterility broken.
- Avoid reaching over field and prevent nonsterile sleeves, equipment, or dangling objects from entering field space.
- Keep all sterile items above waist level; items lowered below waist are nonsterile.
- If using sterile solution, pour from side of field into sterile container from about 6 in (15 cm) away and avoid splashing.
- Replace any wet or contaminated items immediately and re-establish sterility before proceeding.
Common Errors
- Touching or using the 1 in package border as sterile → immediate field contamination.
- Turning away from field → sterility cannot be assured and field integrity is lost.
- Allowing sterile items below waist or wetting field → conversion to nonsterile status.
- Pouring directly over field or too quickly → splash contamination risk.
Related
- asepsis-in-nursing-care - Foundational concepts supporting sterile and clean technique decisions.
- clinical-glove-use-and-hand-hygiene-transitions - Hand hygiene and glove discipline support sterile workflow reliability.