Question

What are the necessary steps to changing a sterile dressing? How would you explain these steps to a patient who was nervous about having her sterile dressing changed?

Answer 1

The steps are the following. First, one should wash hands and position patient properly. Place the gloves, remove tape and dressing. Dispose then the dressing as well as the gloves. Put in sterile gloves and put solution in the gauze, cleanse wound and apply dry sterile dressing.Secure dressing with tape. Remove and dispose gloves and other materials used. One can explain to an anxious patient by informing him or her that if it will not be clean and dressing will not be change it can cause infection which is a bigger problem then.