SELF/Perioperative Nursing/Setting up the Sterile Field/Psychomotor Skills Practice Assessment
Psychomotor Assessment Rubric for Setting Up the Sterile Field (ECSACONM)
[edit | edit source]Overview
[edit | edit source]This page provides a psychomotor assessment rubric for evaluating sterile field setup competency, developed for perioperative nursing training under ECSACONM (East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing). It is a companion assessment tool to the Sterile Field Setup Skills Practice Instructions page, used by evaluators to rate student/practitioner performance on each step of sterile field preparation on a 5-point scale.
Purpose
[edit | edit source]To provide a standardized scoring framework for assessing clinical competency in setting up the sterile field, ranging from "Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed" (1) to "Excellent" (5), with defined criteria at each anchor point.
Rating Scale
[edit | edit source]- 1 – Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed
- 2 – (between 1 and 3, no separate descriptor)
- 3 – Clinically Acceptable / Performed
- 4 – (between 3 and 5, no separate descriptor)
- 5 – Excellent
Assessment Rubric
[edit | edit source]| Step | Name | Assessment Method | 1 – Clinically Unacceptable / Not Performed | 2 | 3 – Clinically Acceptable / Performed | 4 | 5 – Excellent | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gather supplies | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 2 | Perform surgical hand scrub | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 3 | Don sterile gown and gloves (solo) | Articulated | Incorrect, incomplete, or unsafe description of gowning and gloving | Describes the sequence of donning the sterile gown and gloves correctly, including key aseptic principles such as inside-surface handling and closed gloving | Description is complete, structured, and explicitly aseptic-focused | |||
| 4 | Open sterile table drape carefully | Observed | Touches non-sterile surfaces while handling the drape, allows the drape to contact the table before proper placement, or loses control during unfolding | Places the drape onto the table without contamination, unfolds it using correct hand positioning, and achieves adequate table coverage, with minor hesitations or less controlled movements | Places the folded edge on the table without contacting non-sterile surfaces, allows the drape to open without hand contact to inner surfaces, grasps corners correctly, and unfolds smoothly to fully cover the table with controlled, deliberate movements | |||
| 5 | Confirm field surface is adequate and suitable | Articulated | Not done | Done | ||||
| 6 | Layout drape on Mayo stand | Observed | Drape or gloved hands touch non-sterile parts of the stand, drape placed directly onto the surface before proper positioning, or drape contaminated during unfolding or application (e.g., removes hands from pockets of Mayo cover before it is fully applied) | Drape placed without contacting non-sterile surfaces, unfolds or applies it correctly, and covers the Mayo stand adequately | Folded edge placed without touching the stand, drape opens without hand contact to inner surfaces, grasps corners to spread and drop over sides, or uses hand pockets to fully slide and pull the Mayo cover over the stand smoothly without any contact or contamination | |||
| 7 | Correct opening of surgical instrument set | Observed | Selects incorrect set, reaches over the sterile field, touches inner sterile surfaces, opens flaps in wrong sequence, or contaminates contents during receipt or transfer | Identifies the correct set, coordinates opening of outer wrap (away, sides and toward the body), receives inner wrap without crossing the field, and transfers contents onto the sterile field without contamination, with minor lapses in control or orientation | Identifies the correct set, directs outer wrap opening in correct sequence, receives inner wrap without reaching over the field, orients it correctly, and opens inner wrap by handling edges only (away, sides and toward the body) | |||
| 8 | Laying out of sterile surgical instruments | Observed | Places instruments randomly or directly onto the Mayo stand first, mixes instrument types without grouping, drags instruments across table edges, positions sharps unsafely, overcrowds the field, or creates a disorganized layout that impairs access | Places instruments on the back table first, groups by type or sequence, arranged in a generally logical layout, positions frequently used items within reach, transfers items to the Mayo stand without contamination, and maintains a reasonably clear field | Places instruments on the back table first, groups by type and sequence of use (e.g., knives, pickups, scissors, artery forceps proximally; tissue forceps distally), positions frequently used items for immediate access, places heavy items at edges and delicate items centrally, secures sharps in designated safe zones, transfers items to the Mayo stand without dragging, and maintains a clear, uncluttered working area throughout | |||
| 9 | Organize supplies on sterile field | Observed | Reaches over the sterile field when receiving items, touches non-sterile surfaces, opens packs with incorrect flap sequence, drops or places items outside the sterile field, mixes supplies without grouping, places sharps unsecured, or creates a cluttered/unsafe layout | Receives supplies without crossing the sterile field, uses correct edge-only handling, opens sterile packs in correct sequence (far, side and near), allows items to fall onto the sterile field without contamination, groups supplies generally by type, and maintains a functional but not fully organized layout | Receives supplies aseptically without crossing the sterile field, handles items by edges only, opens packs in correct sequence (far, side and near), allows items to drop or slide onto the sterile field without contact, groups items by type (e.g., dressings, sutures), positions frequently used items within immediate reach, and arranges items in expected procedural order with a clear, uncluttered field maintained throughout | |||
| 10 | Organizes sharps for containment and counting | Observed | Places sharps outside a designated zone, leaves them unsecured or incorrectly oriented, contaminates sterile handling, or fails to establish a system for safe containment and counting | Places sharps in a designated area, ensures basic safe orientation and stability using holders, and maintains general readiness for counting with minor organizational inconsistencies | Places sharps in a designated sharps zone, secures blades and needles in stable, correctly oriented positions using appropriate holders, arranges them in order of use, and maintains a clear, structured system for counting out and back in | |||
| 11 | Prepare sterile solutions and medications | Observed | Contaminates sterile field or containers during pouring or receiving of medication, fails to label medications, or handles solutions in a way that breaches asepsis or causes spillage | Pours solutions at an angle or receives medication without contaminating the sterile field, labels medications immediately, and receives solutions safely at the field edge or via scrub-held container | Pours sterile solutions at a controlled angle or receives medications without contact contamination, labels all medications immediately and accurately, and receives solutions in a stable, aseptic manner at the sterile field edge or via scrub-held container | |||
| 12 | Prepare drapes, gowns, and gloves for surgeon and team | Observed | Fails to open required gowns or gloves correctly, contaminates sterile packs during handling, places items outside designated sterile access areas, or does not ensure availability for the surgical team | Opens sterile gowns and gloves without contamination, places them on the sterile field for team access | Opens sterile gowns and gloves using correct aseptic technique, maintains edge-only handling without contamination, and systematically arranges them in accessible, designated sterile field areas for immediate and orderly access for the surgical team | |||
| 13 | Final inspection of sterile field before team arrival | Observed | Does not inspect sterile field for organization or contamination, proceeds without verifying readiness of supplies, or leaves field disorganized or potentially contaminated before team arrival | Reviews sterile field for basic organization and absence of obvious contamination, confirms most supplies are available, and states readiness to proceed | Systematically inspects sterile field for organization and contamination, verifies completeness and readiness of all required supplies, layout is functional and accessible, and positions self ready to begin immediately upon team arrival |
| Authors | Ian-laurel |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | SELF, ECSACONM |
| Cite as | "SELF/Perioperative Nursing/Setting up the Sterile Field/Psychomotor Skills Practice Assessment". Appropedia. 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026. |