Exam Guide
Positioning Gloved Hands to Maintain Sterility
Safety & Infection Control · Question from the ATI PN Fundamentals 2023 Proctored Exam study set
Correct answer: Interlock their fingers and hold their hands away from their body above their waist
Why this is the answer
Keeping gloved hands above the waist, in view, interlocked, and away from the body maintains the sterile field and prevents inadvertent contamination.
The bigger concept
Surgical asepsis rules on this exam are absolute: anything below the waist, out of sight, or touched by a nonsterile object is contaminated. Keeping gloved hands interlocked and above the waist prevents accidental brushes against the gown, the bed, or your own body. Related rules — a 1-inch border around a sterile field is nonsterile, never reach across the field, never turn your back on it, and a wet field is a contaminated field.
Related Safety & Infection Control practice questions
- Setting Up a Sterile Field: Steps in Order
- Wheelchair Placement for a Safe Transfer
- Home Safety Hazard: Throw Rugs Over Electrical Cords
- Seizure Response: Turn to the Side, Then Call for Help
- When to Use a Mechanical Lift for Transfers
Keep studying
← Back to the PN Fundamentals study guide hub · Practice all 70 questions free in the quiz engine