How to set up a sterile field
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
A sterile field keeps instruments free of germs during procedures. One break in technique means the field is no longer sterile.
Step by step
Choose the space
Use a clean, dry surface at waist height in an area with little traffic. [1]
Clean your hands
Perform hand hygiene and check packages for dates, damage and dryness. [2]
Open the first flap away
Open the far flap first, then the sides, and the near flap last. Do not reach over the field. [1]
Keep the border
The outer 1 inch of the drape is not sterile. Place items inside it. [1]
Add items safely
Drop items onto the field from a short height, without touching it. [1]
Keep it in sight
Keep the field above waist level and never turn your back on it. [1]
Start over if broken
If anything nonsterile touches the field, set up a new one. [1]
Common errors
- Reaching over the sterile field.
- Using a wet or damaged package.
- Turning away from the field.
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
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
- CDC, Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
- 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.