A charge nurse is educating a newly licensed nurse on how to perform a sterile dressing change on a client. Which of the following action indicates an understanding of the teaching?

A. The nurse handled the sterile gauze with clean gloves on: Handling sterile gauze with clean, non-sterile gloves contaminates the gauze and compromises the sterile field. Sterile gloves or sterile instruments must be used to maintain sterility. B. The nurse opened the package of gauze toward their body: Opening a sterile package toward the body increases the risk of contaminating the sterile field. The first flap should always be opened away from the body to maintain proper sterile technique. C. The nurse placed a bottle of saline on the sterile field: Placing a non-sterile item, such as an unsterilized saline bottle, onto a sterile field contaminates the entire field. Only sterile items should touch the sterile field. D. The nurse kept their hands above the waist during the dressing change: Maintaining hands above the waist is crucial in sterile technique. Anything held below waist level is considered contaminated, so this action shows proper understanding of maintaining sterility.