Nurses must observe the principles of asepsis at all times to prevent the spread of infection. They wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after caring for patients, after handling any waste, before and after eating and drinking, after smoking, coughing, touching clothes, and after wearing gloves. Alcohol gel has come into common use to sanitize the hands in place of washing hands that are not visibly soiled. Infection control regulations state that hand washing must be done after the third instance of using hand sanitizer. Gloves are generally worn when patient care is given, especially when exposure to patient bodily fluids is likely.
Nurses also observe aseptic technique. This speciality is used for procedures such as wound cleaning and any insertion or removal of appliances into or out of the patient's body. Examples are insertion of an intravenous or urinary catheter, or feeding (nasogastric) tube.
Surgical scrub techniques are also taught to nurses. This speciality is used for operating room technique, where nurses are an important part of any procedure.
