Lessons · Nursing · a sterile field, and what breaks it
A sterile field, and the ordinary things that break it
A sterile field counts as sterile only at or above waist level, in sight, and dry; the outer border of the drape is not sterile, and anything that leaves your view or touches something unsterile has broken it.
Hone is a place to practise a career, one idea a day. This is one of its lessons, written out in full and free to read without an account.
What it is for
A dressing change goes wrong in the two seconds somebody turns to answer a question. The rules are all about keeping the field where you can see it, because the moment it is behind you there is no way to know what touched it.
How to think about it
Set the field where you will work, at or above waist height. Open packs away from yourself and drop the contents on without reaching over the field. Keep both hands in sight and above the waist. Treat the border of the drape as unsterile, and treat wet as broken, because moisture carries organisms straight through.
Worked example
Field at waist height or above, in front of youBelow the waist is not sterile, whatever it looks like.
Open the pack away from you and drop items onReaching across the field passes your sleeve over it.
The outer border of the drape stays unsterileThe edge is handled, so it is treated as contaminated.
Turn your back for a moment: the field is brokenOut of sight is broken. There is no way to prove otherwise.
A splash of solution soaks through: the field is brokenWet is broken, because moisture carries organisms through the drape.
Your turn
Write the level a sterile field has to stay at or above.
Sterile only at or above level
Solve one, graded on the server
The trap
Reaching across the field for something on the other side. Your arm passes over the open sterile surface, and a clean sleeve is not a sterile one. Walk around, or have the item handed to you.