Gowning and Gloving

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Chemical sterilization

Hospital Corpsman Revised Edition

Cleaning the Operating/Treatment Room

Gowning and Gloving
If you are the scrub corpsman, you will have opened your sterile gown and glove packages in the operating room before beginning your hand scrub. Having completed the hand scrub, back through the door holding your hands up to avoid touching anything with your hands and arms. Gowning technique is shown in the steps of figure 2-4. Pick up the sterile towel that has been wrapped with your gown (touching only the towel) and proceed as follows:

1. Dry one hand and arm, starting with the hand and ending at the elbow, with one end of the towel. Dry the other hand and arm with the opposite end of the towel. Drop the towel.

2. Pick up the gown in such a manner that hands touch only the inside surface at the neck and shoulder seams.

3. Allow the gown to unfold downward in front of you.

Figure 2-4.-Gowning.

4. Locate the arm holes.
5. Place both hands in the sleeves.
6. Hold your arms out and slightly up as you slip your arms into the sleeves.

7. Another person (circulatory) who is not scrubbed will pull your gown onto you as you extend your hands through the gown cuffs.

Continue the process by opening the inner glove packet on the same sterile surface on which you opened the gown. The entire gloving process is shown in the steps of figure 2-5.

1. Pick up one glove by the cuff using your thumb and index finger.

2. Touching only the cuff, pull the glove onto one hand and anchor the cuff over your thumb.

3. Slip your gloved fingers under the cuff of the other glove. Pull the glove over your fingers and hand, using a stretching side-to-side motion.

Figure 2-5.-Gloving.

4. Anchor the cuff on your thumb. With your fingers still under the cuff, pull the cuff up and away from your hand and over the knitted cuff of the gown.

5. Repeat the preceding step to glove your other hand.

6. The gloving process is complete.
To gown and glove the surgeon, follow these steps:
1. Pick up a gown from the sterile linen pack. Step back from the sterile field and let the gown unfold in front of you. Hold the gown at the shoulder seams with the gown sleeves facing you.

2. Offer the gown to the surgeon. Once the surgeon's arms are in the sleeves, let go of the gown. Be careful not to touch anything but the sterile gown. The circulator will tie the gown.

3. Pick up the right glove. With the thumb of the glove facing the surgeon, place your fingers and thumbs of both hands in the cuff of the glove and stretch it outward, making a circle of the cuff. Offer the glove to the surgeon. Be careful that the surgeon's bare hand does not touch your gloved hands.

4. Repeat the preceding step for the left glove.