After donning a sterile gown, what should the scrub nurse do next before putting on gloves?

After donning a sterile gown, the scrub nurse should use the non-dominant hand to open the sterile glove package. This action maintains the sterile field and the integrity of the sterile gown. The non-dominant hand can be used to manipulate the package while keeping the dominant hand sterile and ready to put on the gloves.

Using the non-dominant hand is a standard practice in maintaining sterility during the preparation for surgical procedures. It allows the scrub nurse to open the glove package without contaminating the area or the gown while avoiding potential breaches in sterile technique. The dominant hand is typically kept sterile for handling the gloves and other instruments.

The other options, such as opening the glove package with the dominant hand or asking for assistance, would either risk contamination or disrupt the workflow, particularly in a sterile environment where maintaining the sterile field is crucial. Checking the integrity of the glove packaging is also a good practice but typically occurs before the gowning process, not immediately after donning the gown.