Only the inner area of a sterile field is sterile; the outer 1-inch border is considered contaminated.
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is preparing to perform sterile dressing changes on a client. Which action would break sterile technique and require correction?
Answer: B. Reaching across or turning your back on a sterile field, and considering the outer 1-inch border non-sterile, are key principles. Holding sterile items below waist level breaks technique because anything below the waist is considered contaminated.
Question 2 of 5
Which action breaks sterile technique during a sterile dressing change?
Answer: B. Anything below the waist or out of sight is considered contaminated, and reaching over the sterile field contaminates it. The 1-inch border of a sterile field is also considered nonsterile.
Question 3 of 5
Which is correct technique for a sterile dressing change?
Answer: B. Maintain a sterile field, keep sterile items above the waist and in view, do not reach across the field, and replace the field if it becomes wet/contaminated. Reaching over the field contaminates it.
Question 4 of 5
When a sterile field becomes wet from underneath (strike-through), the nurse should:
Answer: B. A wet sterile field is contaminated (strike-through) — discard it and set up a new sterile field. Continuing risks introducing infection.
Question 5 of 5
A home care nurse is preparing to change a sterile dressing in the client's home. Which action maintains surgical asepsis?
Answer: A. A sterile field becomes contaminated if any part is touched by a nonsterile item or if it becomes wet. Keeping all sterile items above waist level and within sight maintains asepsis. Reaching over the field, turning away from it, or using a damp surface contaminates it.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
What is sterile technique?
The principle is that any break in sterility contaminates the entire field. It differs from medical (clean) asepsis, which only reduces microorganisms.
Key points to remember
- Only the inner area of a sterile field is sterile; the outer 1-inch border is considered contaminated.
- Anything below the waist or table level, or out of direct sight, is no longer sterile.
- Sterile touches only sterile; if a sterile item contacts a non-sterile surface it is contaminated.
- Moisture wicks organisms upward, so a wet sterile field is a contaminated field (strike-through).
- Reaching over a sterile field or turning your back on it breaks sterility.
Nursing priorities
- Perform hand hygiene and open packages away from the body, opening the first flap away from you.
- Keep sterile gloved hands above waist level and within view at all times.
- Add sterile items by dropping them onto the field without reaching over it.
- Discard the field and restart if any contamination or doubt occurs.
Patient teaching
- Patients are asked not to touch or reach toward the sterile area during a procedure.
- Explain that strict technique prevents introducing infection during the procedure.
Red flags: report now
- When in doubt about sterility, consider it contaminated and start over.
- Never reach across or turn your back on a sterile field.
- Do not use a sterile field that has become wet, torn, or unattended.
References
Clinical references for this topic
