Operating Department Practice – DipHE

At a glance

Train in the specialist role of operating department practitioner in up-to-the-minute facilities that include a virtual reality suite for practical simulations. You also gain extensive real-world experience with over 60% of your course time spent on placement in clinical settings. This practice is an essential component this Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the College of Operating Department Practice (CODP) approved course.

Key points
• Train in the specialist role of the operating department practitioner.• Practice in facilities that include an operating theatre and virtual reality suite.
• Develop extensive real-world experience with 60% of your course on placement in critical care settings.
• Gain an additional health improvement award from the Royal Society of Public Health.

What is operating department practice?
Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are a vital part of the clinical team and provide professional expertise during the patient’s stay in hospital. ODPs are primarily employed within operating theatres in all aspects of care, however they are increasingly being recognised for their diverse skills in other environments and there are many career paths to explore such as clinical practice in specialist units, people management and education.

This course

You develop the skills and experience enabling you to become an operating department practitioner (ODP) and pursue a career providing highly specialised assistance to surgeons, anaesthetists and other medical practitioners.

You learn key skills relating to the vital duties of an ODP including• ensuring that instruments, drugs and equipment for an operation are ready for use
• ensuring that the environment is safe and free from hazards
• monitoring the patient using anaesthetic, surgical and diagnostic equipment

Whilst at the University your learning takes place on the Collegiate Crescent Campus in purpose-built teaching rooms which include a fully equipped operating theatre, 3D Virtual reality suite, ward and clinical areas within the Robert Winston Building. Your learning consists of large and small group teaching, seminars, workshops, self-directed and tutor-directed study.

Your university-based study consists of two academic blocks each year. The rest of your time is spent on clinical placement and makes up 60% of your course, this is essential to your studies. The clinical experience you gain enables you to match and translate your academic learning to the clinical skills needed to be an ODP, this in turn enhances your career prospects on qualification.

Whilst on placement, you work with clinical mentors and other registered clinical practitioners, this means that you are constantly supervised but as your skills develop you take more responsibility for the care of the patient, still under close supervision, until you are safe to practise with minimum supervision and ultimately develop clinical autonomy which enhances your employability.

You also study inter professionally alongside students from other health disciplines, such as nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and paramedics. This shared inter professional learning experience allows you to develop as a member of a team and understand the contribution of different professionals found in clinical situations.

As part of the course you complete a level 2 award in health improvement, which provides you with a certificate from the Royal Society of Public Health. We are currently the only university in the UK that offers this as part of our operating department practitioner courses.

Key areas of study
Key areas include • anaesthesia and surgical practice • skills required of a registered practitioner • working within a post anaesthetic care unit • inter professional education • human biology.

Advanced Simulation Centre
Each year as part of the course students study at the Advanced Simulation Centre at Montagu Hospital, Mexborough. In partnership with the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority, the centre offers multiprofessional training concentrating on the important areas of crisis management, team training and communication skills for those involved in NHS clinical practice.