Final answer:
The nurse would expect the wound dehiscence to heal by secondary intention, as the wound edges are likely not close together and require granulation and contraction for healing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse caring for a client with a 5-cm × 6-cm abdominal wound dehiscence would expect the wound repair to occur by secondary intention. This type of wound healing takes place when the wound edges cannot be easily brought together, which would be the case with dehiscence. The wound must heal from the bottom up through the process of granulation, followed by wound contraction and epidermal resurfacing. Primary intention healing, on the other hand, occurs when the wound edges can be approximated, leading to less scarring and a faster healing process. Tertiary intention healing is where the wound is intentionally left open due to contamination or other reasons and closed later, while regeneration is the replacement of the same type of cells as were injured which can occur in minor wounds.