Which team member is NOT typically required to wear sterile gowns and gloves during surgery?

• A. Surgeon
• B. Scrub person
• C. Surgical assistant
• D. Patient

Answer: (D)

In the context of a surgical environment, the patient is not required to wear sterile gowns and gloves during surgery because the focus on sterility is oriented around the surgical team and the sterile field. The patient is typically draped in sterile covers that maintain a sterile environment for the surgical site, but they themselves do not wear sterile gowns or gloves.

The roles of the surgeon, scrub person, and surgical assistant all involve direct interaction with sterile instruments and tissues; hence, these team members must wear sterile gowns and gloves to reduce the risk of infection and maintain a sterile surgical field. This division of responsibility emphasizes the importance of keeping sterile barriers intact for all team members who are actively participating in the procedure, while the patient’s primary concern is the surgical site being adequately covered and protected from contamination rather than their attire.