Final answer:
Three days post-injury, the expected phase of wound healing is the proliferative phase, which involves clotting, debris removal, and collagen deposition by fibroblasts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to the expected phase of healing for a wound that is 3 days old. Since the initial inflammatory phase, characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain, occurs immediately following an injury and lasts up to a few days, we can anticipate that the wound is currently in the proliferative phase of healing. This phase follows the inflammatory stage and involves blood clotting, removal of debris, and the beginning of tissue regeneration including collagen deposition by fibroblasts to repair the injured area.
Typically, the proliferative phase begins within a few days after an injury and can last up to a few weeks, depending on the severity of the wound and overall health of the individual. Therefore, the nurse anticipates the phase of healing to be the proliferative phase (option d).