A patient with electrical burns develops arrhythmias. What is the nurse's priority action?

A. Maintain NPO status: Keeping the patient NPO is important for potential surgical interventions, but it does not address the immediate life-threatening risk posed by arrhythmias following electrical burns. It is a preparatory measure rather than an emergent intervention. B. Administer morphine: Morphine may be indicated for pain management in burn patients, but pain control does not directly treat or monitor cardiac arrhythmias. Delaying arrhythmia monitoring could result in missed life-threatening events. C. Apply cooling measures: Cooling is useful for thermal burn injury to limit tissue damage, but it does not manage the electrical burn–related cardiac complications, which are more urgent. D. Initiate cardiac monitoring: Electrical burns can cause myocardial injury, conduction abnormalities, and life-threatening arrhythmias. Continuous cardiac monitoring is the priority to detect and respond immediately to dysrhythmias, ensuring rapid intervention to prevent cardiac arrest or other complications.