West-MEC Medical Assisting Technical Skills Assessment (TSA) Practice Exam

In this setting, the goal is to keep the sterile field intact and the procedure flowing smoothly. Instruments are handed to the physician with the handle first, so the surgeon can grab the instrument quickly without touching the working end. They’re typically arranged left to right in the order they’ll be used, or handed according to the surgeon’s preference. This combination—passing by the handle and in the preferred or order-of-use orientation—helps maintain sterility and speeds up the procedure.

Passing from right to left, or handing instruments one at a time or by size alone, does not align with the standard practice for efficiency and sterility.