PCS13 Prepare and dress for scrubbed clinical roles

Overview

This standard covers preparing and dressing correctly to undertake a ‘scrubbed’ role within the perioperative team. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. The current European and National legislation, national guidelines, organisational policies and protocols in accordance with Clinical/Corporate Governance which affect your work practice in relation to preparing and dressing for scrubbed clinical roles
2. Your responsibilities and accountability in relation to the current European and National legislation, national guidelines and local policies and protocols and Clinical/Corporate Governance
3. The duty to report any acts or omissions in care that could be detrimental to yourself, other individuals or your employer
4. The importance of working within your own sphere of competence and seeking advice when faced with situations outside your sphere of competence
5. The application of standard precautions in preparing and dressing for the scrubbed role and the potential consequences of poor practice
6. The importance, and methods, of:
   1. washing and drying hands and arms in preparation for the scrubbed role
   2. selecting and putting on suitable size sterile gown and gloves
   3. removing and disposing of used, soiled and damaged personal protective clothing, both re-usable and single-use
7. Factors which affect the choice of clothing for different procedures, for example, particular gloves for use in micro-surgery
8. Your responsibility to prepare and dress in clean and appropriate personal protective clothing for the scrubbed role
9. How the correct use of personal protective clothing for the scrubbed role contributes to maintenance of the sterile field
10. Requirements for use and maintenance of protective equipment when working with risks associated with lasers, radiation, chemicals and body fluids
11. Your responsibility to ensure that the circulating practitioner assisting you to prepare and dress in sterile gown and gloves does not compromise sterility of the items
12. The importance of reporting any potential contamination to the appropriate members of the surgical team
13. The importance of immediately reporting any issues which are outside your own sphere of competence without delay to the relevant member of staff

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. apply standard precautions for infection prevention and control and other appropriate health and safety measures when preparing and dressing for scrubbed roles
2. select and wear appropriate personal protective equipment in line with organisational policies and national guidance
3. wash and dry your hands and arms effectively in accordance with organisational policies and protocols
4. select and put on suitable size sterile gown and gloves according to approved procedures
5. promptly change personal protective equipment which becomes unsuitable for use
6. remove and dispose of all used personal protective equipment and theatre clothing in a way which minimises the risk of cross-infection

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: Core 3 Health, safety and security This standard has replaced HCS_CP1.