Final answer:
The nurse should expect to find polyuria, as it is a distinct symptom of diabetes insipidus due to the body's inability to conserve water, leading to the production of large quantities of dilute urine.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse assessing a client who has diabetes insipidus (DI) should expect to find certain characteristic signs and symptoms. Diabetes insipidus is a condition characterized by large volumes of dilute urine, also known as polyuria, and increased thirst, medically termed polydipsia.
In diabetes insipidus, there is either an inadequacy in the production or functioning of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) from the posterior pituitary gland, or the kidneys fail to respond properly to this hormone. As a result, the kidneys do not conserve water as they should, leading to the production of a large quantity of dilute urine. This can cause dehydration and a compensatory increase in thirst and fluid intake. Therefore, the most likely finding in a person with DI is an increase in urination which reflects in polyuria, not an increase in urine specific gravity or elevated blood glucose levels, unlike in diabetes mellitus.