Final answer:
A PN should assess any changes in a client's urine, considering factors like specific gravity and volume, and report findings for further assessment, ensuring accurate documentation and labeling of any specimens.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a Practical Nurse (PN) observes a change in a client's urine at the end of a 12-hour shift, the first step would be to evaluate the urine's characteristics such as color, odor, volume, and if available, specific gravity. In the context of a Mosenthal test, which measures renal concentrating ability, there should be a difference in specific gravity of 0.009 between successive urine samples over a 12-hour period in a controlled diet setting, and the overall specific gravity should be higher than 1.018 in a healthy individual. Additionally, the role of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is noteworthy as it regulates urine production by causing the kidneys to make adjustments after the ingestion of too much fluid, with diuresis beginning approximately 30 minutes after and returning to normal after about 3 hours.
Following these observations, it would be prudent for the PN to compare the client's urine output against expected ranges based on these tests and to consider any recent fluid intake, medication, or medical treatments that could affect urine production. If there is concern about the client's urine output or characteristics, the next step should be to report these findings to a registered nurse or physician for further assessment, ensuring that all observations are documented accurately and any collected specimens are correctly labeled.