Donning Sterile Gloves (Nursing)

00:04 Let's talk about donning sterile gloves.

00:07 Now this procedure can be a little tricky for new students so this one really is great to practice on.

00:12 So let's get started.

00:14 So first of all, you're going to need your sterile gloves.

00:17 Now when you're doing sterile gloves, before you get started on any procedure, it's kind of important for you to know which ones fit you first of all.

00:26 So when sterile gloves, sometimes sizings going to go from small, medium, large, extra large, or it could go something like 5 1/2, 6, 6 1/2.

00:38 So first of all, before you get started, check your agency's equipment and then see which gloves work for you.

00:46 So before we start sterile gloving, we always want to perform our hand hygiene.

00:50 Then we want to place this sterile gloves on a clean, dry flat surface.

00:57 Now, when we open the inner package, there are little bitty flaps on there, we want to take the inner edges of this wrapper and we want to turn that outward, and we're going to expose the gloves.

01:10 Now with your left hand, and again, before I get started here, this is going to take some practice of, "Do you want to start with your right hand or with your left hand?" So practice this thoroughly, see which one's comfortable for you.

01:23 So for now, I'm going to start with my left hand.

01:26 So with your left hand, grasp the folded inner surface of the glove and that will be applied to your right hand.

01:35 Now you're going to lift the glove up and insert your right hand, keep your palm facing up.

01:40 So always think about, "Oh, kind of like a pizza pie if you will." Now pull the inner cuff of the right glove over your right hand.

01:50 So now that I've done this, this right hand is glove and ready to go.

01:55 Now once your right hand is completed, we're going to insert that gloved right hand to the fold of the left glove of your equipment.

02:05 Now we're going to lift the left glove and insert that left hand.

02:09 Now remember, palm facing up and kind of like a pizza.

02:14 Now pull that glove down onto that left hand and then you should be ready to go.

02:19 Now sometimes here you may need to pull down and adjust the fitting and the fingers.

02:24 So the main thing to know here, once we don or put on our sterile gloves, it's okay to touch sterile the sterile.

02:32 These are sterile gloves, they came in a package.

02:35 So this is okay that once we've got these on that we want to make sure they're fitted and we can touch glove to glove because it's sterile.

02:48 Now we're going to don are sterile gloves.

02:50 So before we get started, let's perform our hand hygiene.

02:58 So when we open our sterile gloves, this outside package we're not going to need.

03:02 the gloves itself are encased in almost like a package of its own.

03:08 Now open this up, and then we're going to get rid of this.

03:14 Okay, when you open up your package, there's a lot of really nice prompts on the package itself.

03:21 So I'm going to flatten these out, then I'm going to open this up and it also kind of tells you like this side down.

03:29 Also, you're just going to open it up like a book.

03:32 So I'm going to open up my sterile gloves.

03:35 Try to keep that from curling on itself.

03:37 So I'm going to kind of push down some corners here, try to lay that flat.

03:42 So once you open up your sterile gloves, you'll notice on the package, it'll tell you thumb on the right thumb on the left, this is really helpful and also how you know you've got the right side up.

03:52 Also, what helps you is you'll see these little tabs here, that's what I'm going to use to open up my sterile gloves.

04:00 I'm going to put my fingers underneath here.

04:03 I'm going to take these and then peel these down so I can get to my gloves.

04:11 Okay, so now this is open.

04:14 You want to treat this also a lot like a sterile field with a one inch border.

04:18 But we're really careful once we open this package to only touch with our bare hands, the inner cuff.

04:26 So I want to take a moment to look at these gloves real quick for you.

04:30 So notice when you open this package, these cuffs are folded up.

04:35 The reason why think about it like inside out like a shirt.

04:39 This is the piece that's going to touch your skin.

04:41 So this is the piece that I can touch to don or put on my sterile gloves.

04:46 Okay, so let's get started.

04:48 Now one more thing to think about before I get going.

04:51 It really is about personal preference for you.

04:55 So I am right hand dominant.

04:57 I actually put on my left hand first, we're right.

05:01 It's just what's comfortable for me.

05:03 So this is a skill, I really do say, "Hey, if your nursing instructor will give you a couple extra pair." Practice this at home and get comfortable.

05:12 Also one more thing to think about, before you get started donning sterile gloves in a patient's room for procedure, make sure you have the right fit.

05:23 We don't want them too tight that we break the glove when we try to put them on.

05:28 We also don't want them so loose that it's hard to perform a sterile procedure.

05:33 Okay, so now I'm going to start on my left hand.

05:35 So notice, I'm going to take my right hand and grasp the cuff, this inner piece, because this is the part that's touching my skin.

05:44 So I'm going to grasp it and try to open this up, I'm going to take my left hand and slide it in like a pizza.

05:52 So I'm going to look for the opening and take your time on this go slow.

05:57 The more you hurry, it really doesn't help or provide any advantage, I promise.

06:02 So we're going to slide my hand in.

06:05 Now one important thing I want you to think about, I don't want the fingers of my glove dragging everywhere.

06:11 So I'm going to pick this up nice and high, so I maintain the sterility of the gloves.

06:16 So I'm going to take my time and just kind of wiggle those fingers in.

06:24 So I've just got the inner cuff.

06:26 Remember, that part's not sterile, because it's going against me.

06:30 I'm going to readjust here and don't be shy.

06:34 Most the time good sterile gloves, you can just keep wiggling your fingers in and pull hard and pull down.

06:41 Now this is not ideal yet, but that's okay.

06:43 We'll fix this later.

06:45 So now I'm going to start with my other hand.

06:47 You're going to take this piece and go inside the inner cup of the other glove.

06:52 And we're going sterile to sterile, so we really want to try to get inside that cup itself.

06:58 So this can be a challenge depending on how your gloves come out in your package.

07:02 But just take your time here as well.

07:08 As you can see, it's not easy.

07:11 Alright, so we're just going to take our time, finagle my fingers here.

07:22 Sometimes this goes on really quick and sometimes it doesn't, so this is good for you to see.

07:27 The other thing you notice, I try to keep my thumb up.

07:30 So I'm also not dragging all over the place either or contaminate my gloves.

07:35 So now that I have my other hand inside the cuff, I'm going to slide my right hand again like a pizza.

07:47 These gloves are not my friend today, but that's okay, we're going to work with them.

07:51 Alright, so I'm sliding my hand in.

07:54 And notice I'm just on the inside of that glove, pulling down that cuff.

08:00 Keep pulling, don't be shy on this port.

08:03 Take your time and let go with that cuff.

08:05 Now that we have each glove on, now we can take sterile the sterile and adjust these fingers as necessary.

08:15 And now we're ready for a procedure.