A client has been admitted to a burn intensive care unit with extensive full thickness burns over 36% of the body. After ensuring cardiopulmonary stability, which should be the nurse's highest priority when planning the client's care in the early acute phase of the injury?

A. Mitigating risk of infection: Infection is a major concern in burn clients, especially as the skin barrier is lost. However, in the early acute phase, before wounds become colonized, infection prevention is secondary to stabilizing perfusion and preventing hypovolemic shock. B. Provide nutritional support: Nutritional needs increase significantly after burns due to the hypermetabolic state. Nonetheless, this is not the immediate priority in the early acute phase, where maintaining circulation takes precedence. C. Adequate fluid resuscitation: Full-thickness burns over a large body surface area lead to massive fluid shifts, increasing the risk for hypovolemic shock. Fluid resuscitation is essential to maintain tissue perfusion and organ function, making it the highest initial priority. D. Assessing psychosocial coping: Psychological support is important, but in the early phase, physiological stability must be ensured first. Addressing coping and emotional needs becomes more central during the rehabilitation and recovery phases.