How to do a surgical hand scrub
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
The surgical scrub lowers germs on your hands and forearms before sterile surgery. It is more thorough than routine hand hygiene.
Step by step
Get ready
Remove rings, watches and bracelets. Nails short, no artificial nails. Put on cap and mask. [1]
Do a prewash
Wash hands and forearms with soap and water, and clean under the nails. [1]
Scrub or rub
Use an antiseptic scrub or an alcohol surgical rub for the time on the product label. [1]
Cover all surfaces
Scrub each finger, between fingers, palms, backs of hands and forearms up to just above the elbow. [1]
Keep hands up
Hold hands above the elbows so water runs off the elbows, away from clean hands. [2]
Dry with a sterile towel
In the operating room, dry from fingers to elbow with a sterile towel, one side per arm. [2]
Common errors
- Leaving jewelry on.
- Letting hands drop below the elbows.
- Touching the sink or faucet after scrubbing.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- CDC, Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
- CDC, Guideline for Isolation Precautions (2007) and PPE sequence
Facts and steps follow CDC, Guideline for Isolation Precautions (2007) and PPE sequence. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.