Operating room sterility requires correct donning and draping techniques, which ultimately contributes to patient and healthcare provider safety. This page is a resource to get step-by-step guidance on how to don surgical wear and use surgical drapes correctly.
Surgical gown, mask and glove donning techniques
How surgical gowns, masks and gloves are donned, or worn, is critical to aseptic practice, preventing contamination and to ensuring patient and staff safety. These techniques are essential because they reduce the risk of surgical site infection and contribute to a culture of more efficient and disciplined operating rooms, which is vital for safe and successful surgical interventions.
Surgical gown, mask and glove donning demands knowledge and practice of correct donning practice to maintain a sterile environment in the operating room. For all surgical wear, there are specific practices, techniques and approaches wearers need to take as they dress for the OR, and the videos and instructions below illustrate the correct step-by-step donning techniques that make up best practice.
How to don a surgical gown correctly
Wearing a surgical gown correctly is not a skill that comes naturally. There are specific techniques and practices that govern how to put surgical gear on to preserve the aseptic properties of the operating room. And these need to be learned and practiced to be perfected and avoid risk.
How-to video: Donning a sterile gown
Watch the video to see the correct technique for donning a sterile gown.
How to don a surgical mask correctly
During Covid-19, the whole world gained practice in wearing masks. But donning a surgical mask correctly for operating room conditions and requirements is a different matter. Surgical face masks create a physical barrier to prevent bacteria from travelling between the surgical staff and an open patient wound and are an important part of the infection reduction procedures in place in the OR. Learning how to put on a surgical mask correctly is key to reducing risk.
How-to materials: Donning a surgical mask correctly
Watch and read the material to learn more about the correct way to don surgical masks.
Watch the correct donning of BARRIER® surgical face mask with tie-band
Donning guide: Surgical mask with ear-loop
A. Put your fingers through the ear-loops. The nose clip should be positioned at the top. Place the mask over your nose and mouth
B. Position the ear-loops around the ears. Pull the mask from the top and bottom to fully unfold the pleats of the surgical mask. This will provide maximum coverage of the face and minimize the layers you have to breath through.
C. Form the nose clip over the bridge of your nose to minimize air leakage.
D. Ears and hair should be covered with an appropriate choice of headwear to minimize spread of hair and other particles. If there is a risk of fluid splashes, ensure you select a four layer splash resistant surgical mask. Change surgical mask when contaminated as well as between operations.
E. Dispose of the surgical mask after use.
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How to don surgical gloves correctly
Surgical gloves are one layer of protection against the transfer of microorganisms between a surgical site and the surgical staff. Ensuring that surgical gloves are donned correctly is one of the key ways surgical teams minimise the risk of patients developing surgical site infections. Correct glove donning (and doffing) – and maintaining the integrity of the sterile field overall – contribute to patient safety.
Making sure gloves are put on and taken off properly, standard donning practice should be followed.
How-to materials: Donning surgical gloves correctly
See how surgical gloves are correctly donned and doffed in the instructional materials that follow.
Surgical glove donning instructions
Assisted or plunge technique
Closed technique
Open technique
Surgical draping techniques
Correct surgical draping techniques ensure that sterile surgical drapes used as part of the barrier system play their role in helping to maintain a sterile field for a surgical procedure. Drapes help protect unprepared surfaces and equipment and minimise the risk of transmission of pathogens to both patients and staff.
Comprised of different materials to serve different purposes, selecting the right drape is step one in draping best practice. The next steps are all about correctly deploying a surgical drape for the given procedure while maintaining the sterile field. A wide range of drapes is available to match the requirements of different surgical procedures. Carefully following draping instructions for each will help protect the surgical field from contamination.
How to drape surgical drapes correctly
Correct surgical draping techniques lead to reduced risk of contamination during surgery.