[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Infection prevention and control](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/infection/) › Setting up a sterile field and putting on sterile gloves # Setting up a sterile field and putting on sterile gloves - Procedure How to open sterile supplies, set up a field and put on sterile gloves without contaminating them. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Check expiry, the sterilization indicator and the integrity of every package. - Work above the waist and keep the field in view at all times. - The 2.5 cm border and the outside of the package are not sterile. - Pour solutions from the side of the field, about 15 cm up, slowly. - Put on the first glove touching only its inner cuff; the second with gloved fingers under the cuff. ## What it is The sterile field is the work area that holds only sterile supplies and from which an invasive procedure is carried out. It is set up on a clean, dry surface at waist height or above, with intact, in-date packages. Sterile gloves are put on with the open technique: skin touches only the inside of the glove and the glove touches only sterile items. If anything is contaminated, it is replaced. ## Indications - Insertion of an indwelling urinary catheter. - Central line care and dressing changes. - Any procedure that punctures or incises the skin or enters a body cavity. - Any procedure the institutional protocol defines as sterile. ## Contraindications and precautions - Do not use wet, torn or expired packages. - Disinfect the work surface and let it dry fully; it stays at waist height. - Do not turn your back on the field or reach over it. - If the patient or clinician has a latex allergy, use latex-free sterile gloves. - Keep your body, clothing and loose objects away from the field; nothing hangs over it. ## Equipment - Sterile pack or kit with a drape. - Sterile gloves of the correct size. - Sealed, in-date sterile solutions. - Sterile bowl or tray. - Clean, dry over-bed table. - Alcohol-based hand rub or a sink. ## Step by step (and why) - Explain the procedure to the patient and perform hand hygiene — it gains their cooperation and reduces microorganisms. - Disinfect the work table and let it dry, at waist height — moisture and anything below the waist contaminate. - Check expiry, the indicator colour and integrity of every package — a torn, damp or expired package is not sterile. - Place the pack on the table and open the far flap first, touching only its outer edge — you never reach over the open field. - Open the side flaps one at a time and the near flap last, keeping arms away from the field — the inside stays sterile. - Drop sterile items from about 15 cm, inside the field and away from the 2.5 cm border — the border is considered non-sterile. - Pour solutions from the side, about 15 cm up, slowly, into the sterile bowl — it avoids splashing and wetting the field. - With the non-dominant hand, take the dominant-hand glove by the inside of the cuff and pull it on — skin touches only the inside. - Slide gloved fingers under the second cuff, thumb held out; tuck the bare thumb in and pull the glove on — sterile touches only sterile. - Keep hands above the waist and in view; if anything is contaminated, replace it — carrying on with contaminated supplies exposes the patient. ## Complications - Unnoticed contamination of the field, with a risk of infection at the procedure site. - Catheter-associated urinary tract infection or catheter-related bloodstream infection if technique breaks. - Allergic reaction to latex gloves. - Splashes while pouring that wet the field and let microorganisms wick through. ## Next step: when to call for help - If you contaminate the field or the gloves, say so out loud, stop and replace the supplies. - If no spare sterile supplies are available, tell the nurse in charge before going on. - If the patient moves and touches the field, stop, explain again and set up the field again. - Record any break in technique according to the institution's protocol. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which hand picks up the first sterile glove, and where? The non-dominant hand picks up the glove for the dominant hand, only by the folded inner cuff, so the skin touches only the inside. ## From where is a sterile solution poured onto the field? From the side of the field, about 15 cm up, slowly and into a sterile container, so the field is not splashed or wetted. ## What happens if the clinician turns their back on the sterile field? The field is considered contaminated, because it was out of sight, and must be set up again. ## What is done to the work surface before placing sterile supplies on it? It is disinfected and left to dry completely, because moisture lets microorganisms pass through the sterile drape. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/setting-up-a-sterile-field-and-putting-on-sterile-gloves/) ## Connections ## Related 2 - [Clean and sterile technique: medical and surgical asepsis](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/clean-and-sterile-technique-medical-and-surgical-asepsis/) - [Preventing healthcare-associated infections: the care bundles](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/preventing-healthcare-associated-infections-the-care-bundles/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Guideline for Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (2009): Summary of Recommendations](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/cauti/summary-of-recommendations.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2009); [Nursing Skills, 4.4 Sterile Fields](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/04%3A_Aseptic_Technique/4.04%3A_Sterile_Fields) (Open RN, Wisconsin Technical College System (LibreTexts copy, CC BY 4.0), 2021); [Nursing Skills, 4.8 Checklist for Applying and Removing Sterile Gloves](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/04%3A_Aseptic_Technique/4.08%3A_Checklist_for_Applying_and_Removing_Sterile_Gloves) (Open RN, Wisconsin Technical College System (LibreTexts copy, CC BY 4.0), 2021); [Latex Allergy: A Prevention Guide (Publication 98-113)](https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/niosh/docs/98-113/default.html) (CDC / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1998). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/setting-up-a-sterile-field-and-putting-on-sterile-gloves/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/setting-up-a-sterile-field-and-putting-on-sterile-gloves/