The nurse is performing an otoscopic examination on an adult. Which of these actions is correct?

A) Tilt the person's head forward during the examination.
B) Once the speculum is in the ear, releasing the traction.
C) Pulling the pinna up and back before inserting the speculum.
D) Using the smallest speculum to decrease the amount of discomfort.

The pinna is pulled up and back on an adult or older child, which helps straighten the S-shape of the canal. Traction should not be released on the ear until the examination is completed and the otoscope is removed. The nurse should tilt the patient's head slightly away from them and toward the opposite shoulder, not forward. The traction on the pinna of the ear should not be released until the examination is finished and the otoscope has been removed. The largest speculum that fits comfortably in the ear, not the smallest, should be used. The correct action is to pull the pinna up and back on an adult or older child (down and back on an infant or child under the age of 3), which helps straighten the S-shape of the canal.