In a military hospital, which role may authorize a patient disposition?

• A. Registered nurse
• B. Dentist
• C. Physician assistant
• D. Medical service corps officer

Answer: (B)

Disposing a patient means deciding where they go after a care encounter—home, to a different unit, or to another facility—so the person who signs off on that decision must be the clinician responsible for the patient’s care plan. In a military hospital, a dentist is the licensed provider who manages dental care and can determine the appropriate disposition for dental-related cases. They know whether a patient needs additional dental procedures, referral to a specialty like oral surgery, or simple discharge from the dental service, and they coordinate with the medical team as needed.

Other roles contribute to care, but they don’t typically hold independent authority to authorize disposition. A registered nurse follows orders and documents outcomes rather than finalizing where the patient goes. A physician assistant may discharge under supervision, but the formal authorization for a dental patient’s disposition rests with the dentist who oversees the dental treatment and plan. A Medical Service Corps officer is primarily a staff/administrative or broader health-service role, not the clinician making the disposition decision for a patient’s medical or dental care.

So, for dental-related disposition decisions in a military hospital, the dentist is the appropriate authority to authorize the disposition.