During morning setup, a patient who had a near-fall in the waiting area reports lightheadedness every time they stand, and the chart shows a 3 kg weight gain since the last visit. The therapist is about to help the patient onto the treatment couch. What should the therapist do before positioning the patient?

The safe response is to keep the patient seated, measure blood pressure and pulse, obtain weight only if a safe method is available, and notify the nurse before any standing or transfer. Recurrent lightheadedness on standing and a near-fall make an unsupervised stand or transfer inappropriate. Seated vital signs provide useful initial observations without provoking symptoms; a safe weight measurement can also help assess the reported gain, and the nurse can assess the patient and agree on a plan before movement. Keeping the patient seated, checking both vital signs, and notifying the nurse is appropriate, but deferring weight specifically until a routine standing-scale measurement misses the option to obtain it now by a safe method. Keeping the patient seated, checking blood pressure, obtaining weight if safe, and notifying the nurse addresses safety and escalation but omits pulse, a relevant initial observation. Keeping the patient seated, checking both vital signs, and weighing if safe gathers information, but documenting findings does not replace notifying the nurse before positioning or transfer. Exam caveat: weight is conditional, not a reason to stand a symptomatic patient; use a safe method or defer it. Practical check: before moving the patient, confirm they remain seated, review their vital signs and symptoms, and ensure the nurse has received the information.