During a home health visit, a school-age child who has muscular dystrophy confides in the nurse that they were struck by their parent. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

When a child discloses physical abuse, the nurse's first priority follows the nursing process and the ABCs of care: assess before acting. Checking the child for injuries establishes the extent of harm, documents evidence, and guides the urgency of subsequent interventions. This assessment is essential because the severity of injuries may determine whether the child needs immediate emergency transport or whether the situation can be managed through standard reporting channels. Only after a thorough assessment can the nurse accurately communicate findings to authorities and other agencies. Reporting the incident to local authorities is mandatory and must occur, but it is the second step after assessment is complete and findings are documented. Referring the parent to a social service agency is an appropriate long-term supportive intervention but is not the immediate priority when a child may have active physical injuries. Enrolling the parent in anger management classes is a supportive, community-based intervention that may eventually be part of the care plan but is entirely premature as a first action. The principle underlying this question is that assessment always precedes intervention; the nurse cannot report accurately or intervene safely without first knowing the child's physical condition. In home health settings, the nurse also bears a legal obligation as a mandatory reporter, but fulfilling that obligation requires documented assessment findings.