Sterile Gloves vs. Non-Sterile: A Guide for Simulation Training

Every healthcare professional uses medical-grade gloves to perform various tasks, treatments, and procedures for their patients in a clinical setting. The primary purpose of wearing gloves is to help prevent the transmission of infections and diseases between healthcare professionals and patients. 

Most nursing and medical students may naturally assume that all medical gloves are sterilized. However, many medical practices use gloves without any sterilization if they feel a sterile environment is unnecessary. Students must understand the difference between sterile and non-sterile gloves so that they know when to use each type in simulation training.  

An Overview of Non-Sterile Gloves

Non-sterile gloves are medical gloves more commonly used for performing non-invasive procedures, such as physical examinations, diagnostics, and other general patient care practices. Since the healthcare professional is not conducting an invasive procedure, there is virtually no risk of infection. 

All non-sterile gloves come clean right out of the box. They are usually sold in larger bulk boxes without individual packaging for each pair of gloves. As a result, non-sterile gloves are significantly cheaper than sterile gloves. Therefore, consider purchasing non-sterile gloves for simulation training if your students are not working with actual human patients. It will save your school money on its supply budget.

An Overview of Sterile Gloves

Sterile gloves are medical gloves that have been sterilized with a special antiseptic solution to eliminate the threat of bacteria, spores, fungi, viruses, and other microbial life. Doctors and nurses wear sterile gloves when performing invasive tasks and procedures on patients, such as surgery, catheter insertions, IV insertions, and drawing blood.

Sterile gloves are typically made of a soft, elastic material that does not contain any rubber latex proteins. Each pair of sterile gloves will come in its multi-vac packaging for maximum safety and protection from contamination. Due to the sterilization and individual packaging, sterile gloves are generally more expensive than non-sterile gloves. 

When to Use Non-Sterile Gloves in Simulation Training

Non-sterile gloves are suitable for any type of medical or nursing training that doesn’t involve direct patient care. Beginner and intermediate students will likely go through many more gloves than advanced students, as they will need to practice more and make more mistakes. Because of this, it is more cost-effective to buy a larger supply of non-sterile gloves than sterile gloves. 

It is okay to let your less experienced students practice invasive procedures on manikins while wearing non-sterile gloves. After all, the manikin is not going to get sick or pass any disease onto the student, right? Wait until a student has gained more experience before introducing them to the use of sterile gloves. 

Here is the basic procedure for using non-sterile gloves in simulation training:

1) Review the Simulation Scenario

Verify that the simulation scenario requires non-sterile gloves. These scenarios would include things like:

• Checking blood pressure

• Taking temperatures

• Drawing blood

• Conducting physical assessments

• Administering medication

• Handling bodily fluids

These types of situations are referred to as low-fidelity scenarios. Non-sterile gloves are suitable for any of them.

2) Sanitize the Hands

Students should sanitize their hands with a medical-grade hand sanitizer solution before putting on the gloves. The hand sanitizer will ensure their hands are clean and germ-free before they put on the non-sterile gloves. That way, they can still protect their hands from terms without needing sterile gloves.

3) Putting on the Gloves

You would be amazed at how many beginners mess up this step. First, it is better to remove a single non-sterile glove from the box and put it on before taking out the second one. Putting on one glove at a time will ensure the glove completely covers the hand and wrist without any gaps. Ask the student to inspect the glove for any rips or tears. If they find any, ask them to remove it, discard it, and put on a new one. 

Now have the student do the same thing with the second glove. 

4) Perform the Procedure

Students must try to avoid touching any unnecessary surfaces or objects with their non-sterile gloves, such as smartphones, countertops, and people’s faces. They must take every step of the procedure seriously while maintaining hygiene and cleanliness in the environment. 

5) Dispose of the Gloves

Once the procedure is finished, students should dispose of the non-sterile gloves in the proper waste disposal container. Contrary to popular belief, non-sterile gloves are disposable and non-reusable due to the risk of cross-contamination.

When to Use Sterile Gloves in Simulation Training

Most beginner and intermediate students won’t need to use sterile gloves in simulation training because they will be working with manikins and other simulated non-human patients. On the other hand, the more advanced and experienced students will eventually need to practice their skills on simulated human patients to ensure they can succeed in a real-world clinical setting. That is when they will need to wear sterile gloves. 

Simulated human patients are real people who have been trained to act and react as actual patients would in response to the actions of their doctor or nurse. They will know enough to intervene if the student is about to do something that could harm them. Of course, most simulation training activities are less dangerous than the real thing because no actual medications or incisions are involved. 

Students are still at risk of transmitting infections or diseases to the simulated human patients, or vice versa, when working closely with them. That is why they must wear sterile gloves to protect themselves and their patients.

Here is the basic procedure for using sterile gloves in simulation training:

1) Verify the Scenario

All invasive procedures will require students to wear sterile gloves. Some examples of these procedures include the following:

• All surgical procedures

• Central line insertion

• Caring for open wounds

• Urinary catheterization

These types of situations are called high-fidelity scenarios and carry a significantly high risk of infection unless proper precautions are taken, such as wearing sterile gloves. 

2) Sanitize Your Hands

Use a hand sanitizer to sanitize your hands as described above for the non-sterile glove procedure. 

3) Put on the Gloves

Take out a small packet of sterile gloves from the box. Pinch one end of the packet and slowly peel off the wrapper. Now pinch the wrist area of one glove and gently pull it out of the packet. Be very careful not to touch the outside of the glove area with your bare hands. Slide one hand through the glove. Repeat, on the other hand. 

4) Perform the Procedure and Dispose

Try not to touch anything with the sterile gloves. Simply follow the necessary procedure, remove the gloves, and dispose of them in the designated waste receptacle.

Teaching About Sterilization and Infection Control

All students should focus on maintaining a safe and sterile environment, even in a simulated clinical training scenario. Although there is no risk of infection in such an environment, you don’t want your students to grow accustomed to the mindset that their environment is always safe. You must teach them about the importance of sterilization and infection control in all situations involving patients, whether it is a basic physical exam or a complex surgical procedure.

Most beginner students cannot distinguish between sterile and non-sterile gloves after putting them on. In a simulated training scenario, you could provide your students with non-sterile gloves without informing them that they are not sterilized. Emphasize the importance of wearing medical-grade gloves to prevent the transmission of infections. If your students develop the habit of wearing gloves before any procedure, that is a good first step. 

When students reach an advanced level, you can introduce the more expensive sterile gloves to them. Please inform them that these are the gloves they will use when performing any surgical or invasive procedure on patients. Since advanced students already have sufficient skills, they won’t need to practice with sterile gloves as often as they did with non-sterile gloves.

The Cost Difference

Are you curious to know the cost difference between non-sterile and sterile gloves? On average, you can expect to pay around $9 for a box of 100 non-sterile nitrile gloves in any size, ranging from X-Small to X-Large. However, the average cost of purchasing a box of 50 sterile nitrile exam gloves is approximately $39, regardless of size.

Do you notice the significant price difference? If your school doesn’t mind paying $78 for 100 sterile gloves versus $9 for 100 non-sterile gloves, then choose the sterile ones for all your students. Otherwise, carefully consider the lesson plan and select the most suitable glove for the simulation training scenarios being taught. 

Conclusion

Pristine Medical is one of the most trusted suppliers of medical accessories and devices. We offer a vast selection of high-quality sterile gloves and non-sterile gloves, suitable for nursing and medical students of all types. Feel free to check out our medical glove supplies and stock up on the gloves you need to conduct simulation training effectively for your students.