The nurse knows that a medication has the side effect of orthostatic hypotension. Which assessment should the nurse make before administering the medication?

A. Apical heart rate: While important for cardiac medications, the heart rate alone does not provide information about blood pressure changes related to orthostatic hypotension. B. Level of consciousness: Altered level of consciousness can result from hypotension, but assessing it before giving a medication known for orthostatic hypotension is not the most direct or preventive measure. C. Blood pressure: Measuring blood pressure, especially supine and standing, directly assesses for orthostatic changes and helps determine the client’s risk for dizziness, fainting, or falls before administering the medication. D. Pulse pressure: Pulse pressure reflects the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and is not as clinically relevant to assessing risk for orthostatic hypotension as direct blood pressure measurements are.