The nurse is providing care to a client. Which nursing action has the highest priority when the nurse is moving a client with a neck and spinal cord injury during the assessment process?

• A. Removing the cervical spine collar
• B. Monitoring for autonomic dysreflexia
• C. Implementing the logrolling technique
• D. Administering the prescribed pain medication

Answer: (C)

The main idea is protecting the spine to prevent any further injury when moving a patient who may have a neck or spinal cord injury. The logrolling technique achieves this by turning the patient as a single unit with the head, neck, and spine kept in a neutral, aligned position. This coordinated movement minimizes rotation, flexion, or extension that could worsen the injury, which is why it’s the highest priority during assessment and repositioning. A team approaches the move carefully—one person supports the head and neck, others assist with maintaining alignment—often with the patient on a backboard and still wearing a cervical collar.

Removing the cervical spine collar would remove essential stabilization and increase risk, so it isn’t appropriate during movement. Monitoring for autonomic dysreflexia is important, but it’s a potential complication to watch for over time rather than the immediate priority during the act of moving. Administering pain medication is important for comfort, but it doesn’t protect the spine during movement and wouldn’t take precedence over maintaining spinal immobilization.