A nurse is caring for a client who is in the emergency department with multiple traumatic injuries following a motor-vehicle crash. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Rationale: A. Establish a patent oral airway: The airway is the highest priority in trauma care, following the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation). Without a patent airway, the client cannot oxygenate properly, which can quickly become life-threatening. B. Remove the client's clothing: This helps with full-body assessment and prevention of missed injuries, but it should only be done after ensuring the client’s airway and breathing are stable. C. Warm blood products prior to administration: While this helps prevent hypothermia during transfusion, warming blood is not the immediate priority in a trauma situation. Circulation support follows airway and breathing in priority. D. Assign the client a score on the Glasgow Coma Scale: Neurological assessment is important but comes after airway stabilization. The GCS helps evaluate consciousness but should not delay securing the airway in an emergency.