Final answer:
A nurse would anticipate finding edema in a patient with fluid volume excess, characterized by swelling and pitting upon examination.
Step-by-step explanation:
A registered nurse caring for a patient experiencing fluid volume excess would anticipate the assessment finding of edema. Fluid volume excess, also known as hypervolemia, is characterized by the accumulation of excess water in the tissues. This condition is reflected by swelling of the subcutaneous tissues, an increase in the normal size of a limb, and stretched, tight skin. Signs such as pitting edema, where a depression persists for several seconds after pressing a finger into the swollen area, are indicative of this excess fluid volume in the body. The presence of edema is a result of physiological causes such as water leakage from blood capillaries, often associated with an underlying medical condition, use of certain therapeutic drugs, or other factors such as low albumin levels.