**Overview**

Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are an important part of the operating department team working with other health care professionals to help ensure every operation is as safe and effective as possible. As an ODP, you will be integral to the planning, preparation, delivery and evaluation of clinical practice. You will gain knowledge of peri-operative practice techniques in anaesthetics, surgical and post-operative practice, which offers numerous employment opportunities. Excellent leadership, management and communication skills are also vital when working in the perioperative environment – students will develop these throughout their studies.

Taught within the School of Health Sciences, our three-year course is fully approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and prepares you for eligibility to apply for registration as an ODP. Only those who have completed a recognised program of study and registered with the HCPC may work in the NHS as an ODP. This course will give you the skills and knowledge to become a competent, highly sought-after ODP, able to provide high standards of patient care and skilled support, alongside medical and nursing colleagues during peri-operative care.

You will have a caring and compassionate nature and a thoughtful and conscientious approach, however the ODP role also requires practitioners to be able to assess and respond in a timely manner to a range of urgent and emergency scenarios. Students must be aware of their own needs and those of others in the perioperative team, making use of critical thinking skills and effective communication techniques.

As part of our recruitment process, we will explore the values of the NHS Constitution at interview, with successful candidates being able to demonstrate how these are reflected in their own beliefs.

**About This Course**

The three-year BSc (Hons) degree programme in Operating Department Practice (ODP) prepares you for an exciting and rewarding career in the peri-operative environment. This new programme will prepare practitioners in delivering a vital component of future health and social care needs of the population.

Working in a truly multi-professional arena requires people who thrive on the excitement of a job that demands dynamic assessments and prompt reactions to ensure patient safety. The ODP degree programme will be located in the School of Health Sciences and complements the existing school portfolio of courses.

This programme will use a range of teaching methods, including lectures and seminars delivered by expert academics and clinical educators. Blended learning using online content will allow students to discuss and debate relevant topics, developing their own critical thinking skills. The use of methods including flipped classroom and simulation-based education will allow students to develop essential clinical skills and techniques in practical workshops, underpinned by academic study.

A lifelong learning approach is used throughout the course ensuring students are supported as adult learners, to develop the graduate skills, knowledge and autonomy required of a modern healthcare professional.

During the course, approximately 50% of your time will be spent on practice placement. The placement environments include NHS hospitals and private organisations. Placement allocation occurs throughout the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Mapped to the College of Operating Department Practice curricula and HCPC standards the learning outcomes will provide experiences and learning opportunities in a wide range of clinical specialties. All clinical placements will take place with local and regional partners based mainly within Norfolk and Suffolk.

**Disclaimer**

Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider’s website: **www.uea.ac.uk**