Which statement about releasing signed and held orders is correct?

• A. Release them immediately to the patient.
• B. Orders can be discontinued only before release.
• C. Once released, no one is notified.
• D. Must confirm arrival in Epic Unit Manager before releasing.

Answer: (D)

Releasing signed and held orders hinges on confirming the patient’s arrival on the unit in Epic Unit Manager. This safety step ensures the orders are linked to the correct patient who is physically present and on the correct unit before they move into active execution. If you skip this arrival check and release immediately, actions could be taken for a patient who isn’t actually on the unit yet, risking patient safety and workflow mismatches. The Unit Manager tracks arrival status, so once arrival is confirmed, the held orders are released and become visible to the care team for timely execution.

The other ideas don’t fit because releasing without arrival verification bypasses a crucial safety guard, and the notion that nothing is notified after release isn’t accurate—the system makes the released orders visible to the unit and care team. While orders can be discontinued if plans change, the key requirement is confirming arrival in Unit Manager before releasing.