A nurse is preparing to perform a cranial nerve examination on a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to check cranial nerve XIIZ

A. Turning the head side to side tests cranial nerve XI (spinal accessory nerve), which innervates the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. Dysfunction of cranial nerve XI would present as difficulty rotating the head or shrugging the shoulders, but it does not assess tongue movement, which is the function of cranial nerve XII. B. Whispering into one ear while occluding the other assesses cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve), which is responsible for hearing and balance. Hearing tests do not provide information about tongue motor function or cranial nerve XII integrity. C. Cranial nerve XII, the hypoglossal nerve, is a motor nerve that controls tongue movement. To assess its function, the nurse asks the client to stick out the tongue and observes whether it is midline. Deviation to one side may indicate unilateral hypoglossal nerve damage, while atrophy or fasciculations (twitching) can suggest chronic nerve injury. The nurse may also ask the client to move the tongue side to side or push it against the cheek to further evaluate strength and coordination. Proper tongue function is essential for speech, swallowing, and manipulating food. D. Identifying smells tests cranial nerve I (olfactory nerve), which is responsible for the sense of smell, not motor control of the tongue. While important in a complete cranial nerve assessment, it is unrelated to hypoglossal nerve function.