All of the following statements are true about donning sterile gloves except?

NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2016

Nursing Foundation

Easy

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

The statement that the inside of the glove is considered sterile is incorrect.
The inside of a sterile glove is designated as 'clean,' not sterile, because it is intended to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin (hands).
The skin cannot be sterilized, only cleaned. Therefore, any surface touching the skin is no longer considered sterile.
In sterile technique, only the outside of the gloves is maintained as a sterile surface.

Option A: This statement is correct. The first glove is picked up by the inner cuff because the ungloved hand is not sterile. This technique prevents contamination of the glove's sterile exterior.
Option B: This statement is correct. After the first glove is on, the sterile gloved hand is used to slide under the cuff of the second glove. This maintains the principle of sterile-to-sterile contact.
Option C: This statement is correct. Adjustments to the gloves after both are donned should only be made by touching sterile surfaces with other sterile surfaces, such as sliding gloved fingers under the sterile cuff.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Principles of Asepsis and Sterile Gloving Technique as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Mastery of sterile gloving is a fundamental nursing skill essential for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) during invasive procedures like catheterization, wound care, and surgical dressing changes.
A break in sterile technique, such as touching the outside of the glove with a bare hand, contaminates the glove and increases the risk of introducing pathogens to the patient, potentially leading to serious complications like sepsis.
What if the nurse accidentally contaminates a glove? The only safe action is to discard the pair and start over with a new sterile pair. There is no way to 're-sterilize' a glove once it's contaminated.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the question type. This is an 'EXCEPT' question, which means you need to find the one false statement among the options.
Read the stem carefully: 'All of the following statements are true about donning sterile gloves except?'. This frames your task as validating each option against the principles of sterile technique.
Evaluate each option based on your knowledge of asepsis. For Option A, think: 'Can my non-sterile hand touch the inside of the cuff?' Yes, because the inside touches your skin, it's not the sterile part.
For Option B, think: 'Can my sterile gloved hand touch the outside of the other glove's cuff?' Yes, this is a classic sterile-to-sterile move.
For Option C, think: 'Can I adjust the gloves by touching the sterile cuffs with my sterile fingers?' Yes, this maintains sterility.
For Option D, think: 'Is the inside of the glove sterile?' No, the inside touches your clean, but not sterile, hand. This makes the statement false, and therefore the correct answer to an 'EXCEPT' question.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Principles of Asepsis and Sterile Gloving Technique
Stem keywords: donning sterile gloves, true statements
Lead-in keywords: except
Negative lead-in flag: The question asks for the exception, meaning you must identify the FALSE statement.

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