Final answer:
A nurse should expect decreased hearing as a symptom of mastoiditis in a client. Other symptoms may include pain behind the ear, swelling, and fever, while jaw pain, neck stiffness, and scalp tenderness are not typical of mastoiditis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse collecting data from a client who has a new diagnosis of mastoiditis should expect to find certain clinical manifestations related to the condition. Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull, which is located just behind the ear. One of the hallmark symptoms of mastoiditis is a decreased hearing, which results from the inflammation and infection causing issues within the middle ear space and potentially involving structures responsible for hearing.
Other possible symptoms of mastoiditis may include pain behind the ear, swelling, redness, drainage from the ear, fever, and headache. However, jaw pain, neck stiffness, and scalp tenderness are not typically associated with mastoiditis and can suggest other medical issues or complications.