BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice
University of Portsmouth
Key Information
Campus location
Southsea, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* this course isn't currently open to International and EU students
Scholarships
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Introduction
Are you enthusiastic, great with people and keen to make a living improving and saving lives?
Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are an essential part of the surgical team. They take care of patients, prepare the operating theatre and surgical equipment, and act as a vital link between the surgical team, other hospital departments and patients.
Our BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice degree course, which we've developed with local NHS Trusts and the private sector, provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to work in this demanding and rewarding role.
Course highlights
- Practise examinations and procedures on human patient simulators in our Centre for Simulation in Health and Care, one of the country’s leading healthcare teaching environments
- Spend more than 50% of your time gaining experience in real operating theatres and wards at our partner hospitals and NHS Trusts, with one-to-one mentorship from a registered healthcare practitioner
- Learn on a course with 100% overall student satisfaction (NSS, 2021)
- Become eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an Operating Department Practitioner when you graduate
Accredited by:
This course is approved by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Core Skills Training Framework – 0 credits
- DBS Check - 0 credits
- Foundation of Evidence-Based Practice – 20 credits
- Foundations of ODP Professional Practice – 40 credits
- Fundamentals of Perioperative Practice – 20 credits
- Interprofessional Tutorial - 0 credits
- ODP Tutorials Level 4 – 0 credits
- Occupational Health Year 1 - 0 credits
- Science Informing Practice – 40 credits
There are no optional modules this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Applied ODP Professional Practice – 40 credits
- Core Skills Training Framework Repeat Level 5 – 0 credits
- Engaging With Service Improvement – 20 credits
- Evidence-Based Decision Making – 20 credits
- ODP Tutorials Level 5 – 0 credits
- Occupational Health Year 2 - 0 credits
- Perioperative Care of Specialist Patient Groups – 20 credits
- Perioperative Use of Drugs – 20 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Complex Perioperative Care – 20 credits
- Core Skills Training Framework Repeat Level 6 – 0 credits
- Enhancing Operating ODP Professional Practice – 40 credits
- Leading Safe and Effective Care – 20 credits
- ODP Tutorials Level 6 – 0 credits
- Project – 40 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry, and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Clinical placements
You'll need work experience in real hospital settings before you can become an Operating Department Practitioner, so in this course, you'll spend more than half your time on clinical placements.
On each placement, you'll have one-to-one expert support and guidance from a personal mentor based at that hospital or NHS Trust. As a registered healthcare practitioner, your mentor will be there to advise you throughout and oversee your placement experience.
Each year of your course includes one work placement module in a clinical setting. Placement locations are liable to change, but recent students have completed placements at:
- Portsmouth NHS Trust QA Hospital
- Southampton General Hospital
- BMI Healthcare, Winchester
- St Richard's Hospital, Chichester
- RSC Hospital Brighton
- Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
We can also help you find further relevant work experience during your course to boost your career prospects further. We help you identify placements, internships, and voluntary roles that will complement your studies.
Career Opportunities
The role of an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) is to care for patients undergoing surgery in the hospital, from preparing the operating theatre and anaesthetic to ensuring the surgical team has the equipment they need during an operation and supporting patients as they recover.
ODPs are vital to the safe and effective running of an operating theatre, and many are needed in both the NHS and private healthcare sector in the UK, now more than ever. As many operations were postponed due to the pandemic, there is high demand for Operating Department Practitioners to help patients get the surgery they need.
Once you complete this Operating Department Practice degree, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which you'll need to work as an ODP in the UK in areas including anaesthesia, surgery and recovery.
With more training, you could become a surgical care practitioner able to carry out some surgical procedures, under supervision of a consultant surgeon.
What jobs can you do with an Operating Department Practice degree?
As a registered Operating Department Practitioner, you'll be able to progress and develop towards roles such as:
- surgical care practitioner
- advanced critical care practitioner
- team leader
- theatre manager
- sterile supply manager
- practice educator
- research fellow
Potential salary
As an Operating Department Practitioner in the NHS in 2021, you could expect a starting salary of £25,655, moving up to £31,534 (Band 5).
With more experience as a senior ODP or team leader, you could earn from £32,306 to £39,027 (Band 6).
Ongoing careers support
After you graduate, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability Service as you advance in your career.
Graduate Destinations
The BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice course has 100% progression to employment as an Operating Department Practitioner for graduates who successfully apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Some of our HCPC registered graduates have gone on to undertake the following roles:
- Research Fellow at University Hospital Southampton
- Theatre Manager
- Resuscitation Officer at University Hospital Southampton
- Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth
- Surgical First Assistant
Facilities
Student Testimonials
English Language Requirements
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