A client is prescribed docusate sodium. What is the mechanism of action for the medication?

A. Draws water into the bowel movement by changing pressure within the intestines: Osmotic laxatives like polyethylene glycol or lactulose, work by pulling water into the intestines through osmosis, not by softening stool through surfactant action like docusate. B. Acts on the nerves in the intestines to increase peristalsis to cause a bowel movement: This is the mechanism of stimulant laxatives such as bisacodyl or senna. These medications stimulate intestinal nerve endings, unlike docusate which softens stool without affecting nerve activity. C. Coats the fecal material with water and lipids facilitating a bowel movement: Docusate sodium is a stool softener that reduces the surface tension of stool, allowing water and fats to penetrate and mix with the fecal mass, making it easier to pass without straining. D. The medication absorbs liquid and swells to trigger a bowel movement: This describes bulk-forming laxatives like psyllium, which absorb water and expand in the intestines to stimulate peristalsis. Docusate does not have this swelling or bulking action.