So you’ve earned your degree in surgical technology and are just about to scrub up for your first surgery. Before you step into the “surgical field,” there are several different procedures and processes to ensure the sterility of the area. Correctly following these steps will help you to prepare for scrubbing into any surgery and keep the surgical area free of any harmful microorganisms.

1. Steps to Scrubbing In

2. Introduction
If you have the opportunity to assist in an operation, you
will need to adhere to several principles.
The “surgical field” is a sterile area surrounding the patient
that is free from any microorganisms. To maintain this
sterility, you need to correctly scrub in, put on your gown
and pull on your gloves in addition to wearing your scrubs,
cap and facemask.

3. Preparing to Scrub
Turn on the faucet and adjust to a comfortably warm and
adequate flow of water. Scrubbing begins at the
fingernails, using a nail file and brush from a sterile pack.

4. Three Scrub Cycles
A surgical scrub occurs in three cycles:
1
Hands and arms
extending to two
inches above the
elbow
2
Hands and
halfway up the
forearms
3
Hands only

5. Backs of fingers to
opposing palms
with fingers
interlocked
Rotational
rubbing of right
thumb clasped in
left and vice versa
Rotational rubbing,
backwards and
forwards with
clasped fingers of
right hand in left
palm and vice versa
Three Scrub Cycles
These steps ensure that all areas of the hand are
cleaned thoroughly. Each cycle of the hand scrub should
be repeated for each of the three washing cycles.
This follows the principle of washing from a clean area
(the hand) in the direction of the less clean area (the
arm). Your hands should be held above the level of your
elbows at all times to prevent dirty water from dripping
from the upper arm onto lower sterile areas.
1 2 3
4 5 6
Palm
to palm
Right palm over
left dorsum and
left palm over
right dorsum
Palm to palm
fingers interlaced

6. Gowning
The gown is packed and folded
in a specific way so that the
openings of the arm sleeves are
clearly visible and accessible.
The image shows the steps to
correct “gowning.”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dry Hands Pick up gown
Let gown
unfold
Slip arms into
sleeves
Hold arms out
and slightly up
Circulator pulls
gown on
Open to locate
sleeves/armholes

7. Gloving
There are two main techniques used to pull on
sterile gloves: the open glove technique and the
closed glove technique.
Here the closed technique is described. At no
point during this procedure should your bare
hands extend beyond the gown cuffs, or touch the
outside of the gloves.
1 2 3
4 5 6
Pick up one glove
with thumb and
forefinger
Pull glove on hand
Slip partially gloved
hand under cuff of
second glove
Pull second glove
over other hand and
pull glove up to
gowned wrist
Slip fingers of
completely gloved hand
under cuff of first hand,
pull glove to gowned
wrist
Gloving procedure
completed

8. Conclusion
This has given you insight about protecting the sterile field by demonstrating techniques for properly scrubbing in, gowning
and gloving. The main aim of these meticulous procedures is patient safety and infection prevention.

9. /pti.edu /ptiedu /ptiscott
/ptiedu /ptiedu /pghtechinst
www.pti.edu
Sources: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/725336_7, http://medical.tpub.com/14295/css/14295_109.htm, http://medical.tpub.com/14295/css/14295_110.htm
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