Question

The nurse is preparing a sterile field for a bedside procedure. During preparation, the client reaches over the field for the water pitcher. What would be the best action by the nurse?

A.) Discard the supplies and field and prepare a new sterile field.
B.) Educate the client on sterile fields and continue preparing for the procedure.
C.) Give the client the water pitcher and continue preparation.
D.) Remove the supplies from the field and replace with new supplies.

Answer 1

The nurse should discard the contaminated supplies and sterile field and start anew to prevent infection, as maintaining an aseptic technique is critical and any breach of sterility requires this action.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the nurse is preparing a sterile field for a bedside procedure and the client inadvertently reaches over the field, the best action for the nurse would be option A. Discard the supplies and field and prepare a new sterile field. In medical procedures, maintaining aseptic technique is crucial to prevent contamination and the potential for infection. Any breach of the sterile field is considered contamination, which includes unauthorized contact or even passing objects over the field.

Instructing the client on the importance of keeping the sterile field uncontaminated is essential, but it does not mitigate the breach that has occurred. The integrity of the sterile environment is paramount, and thus, it is necessary to start over with new sterile supplies to ensure the safety and health of the patient.