The nurse should protect the trauma patient's spinal cord. Which action should the nurse take?
1. Keep the patient flat and run a hand underneath to assess for posterior injuries.
2. Keep the patient supine until all diagnostic exams have been completed.
3. Keep the patient on a backboard for the first 24 hours.
4. Apply a rigid cervical collar and logroll the patient.
4
Rationale 1: The patient should be logrolled to allow for assessment for injuries to the back.
Rationale 2: Simply being supine does not protect the spine.
Rationale 3: The backboard can cause areas of pressure and reduce accessibility to injured areas. It is removed shortly after arrival at the ED.
Rationale 4: For trauma patients, approximately 55% of spinal injuries occur in the cervical region; a rigid cervical collar is a must to prevent further injury.
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