The emergency department nurse utilizes the ABCDE (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability and Exposure) approach to assess the patient following a serious accident. First, the nurse assesses the patient’s airway by asking the patient to state their name. If the patient can speak they have an adequate airway. Next, the nurse auscultates for breath sounds. Then, the nurse assesses circulation by assessing capillary refill time. The nurse assesses disability by assessing level of consciousness. Lastly, the nurse cuts off the patient’s clothes to expose the skin and assess for injury.