Final answer:
A nurse assessing a client with a complete bowel obstruction should expect to find abdominal distention. This finding, among others such as obstipation and vomiting, is indicative of a bowel obstruction, leading to further diagnostic investigations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse assessing a client with a complete bowel obstruction should expect to find abdominal distention as a clinical manifestation. Complete bowel obstruction leads to the accumulation of intestinal contents, gas, and fluid proximal to the blockage, causing the abdomen to swell. This distention is a hallmark sign and is often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and severe pain.
Other symptoms not explicitly listed in the question but associated with bowel obstruction can include obstipation (severe constipation leading to no passage of stools or gas), vomiting that may contain fecal matter if the obstruction is severe, and a high-pitched or absent bowel sounds heard on auscultation. These findings would lead a healthcare professional to consider bowel obstruction as a likely diagnosis, and further investigation, typically with imaging studies like an abdominal X-ray or CT scan, would be warranted to confirm the obstruction and its exact location.