The physician requests a pair of sterile scissors. A pair of scissors found at the bedside is in an original factory wrapping that has been opened but taped closed again. Which of the following should the nursing aide do?
A)Check the hospital policy manual regarding use of opened supplies.
B)Obtain a pair of sterile scissors that have not been opened.
C)Provide the scissors to the physician because they are available and probably have not been used.
D)Question another nurse aide regarding the sterility of the scissors found at the table.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse aide should obtain a pair of sterile scissors that have not been opened. Using the principle of sterile technique, sterile objects once opened are considered unsterile because of the break in the sterile packaging. The exposure allows airborne microorganisms to infiltrate the sterile object. If you are in doubt about the sterility of the object, assume the object is unsterile

The Physician Requests a Pair of Sterile Scissors