Operating Department Practice Canterbury Christ Church University

Overview

This exciting, hands-on Operating Department Practice course at Canterbury Christ Church University will be your gateway to developing a career as an operating department practitioner (ODP).

You'll be immersed in operating department practice right through the course and will be supported by academics and professionals with vast experience. From developing your practical skills in our simulation suites to working in real healthcare environments, you'll be exposed to many different situations and will care for people with varying needs.

The demands placed on ODPs mean you will learn to take responsibility for managing all aspects of patient care within the operating department and the experience you gain will help to ensure that you are fit for practice within the public, charitable or private sectors.

All about the course

To ensure you experience the most current and relevant education, the course has been designed to reflect the rapidly evolving dimensions of the health and social care sector and the needs of the individual perioperative patient.

You will explore areas including:

• human biology and health
• advancing anaesthetic practice
• advancing surgical practice
• advancing post-anaesthetic care
• the role of Surgical First Assistant (SFA)
• leadership and management
• seriously ill and highly dependent patient management.

You will undertake clinical placements within hospital operating departments and other healthcare practice areas. Working under direct supervision alongside qualified practitioners, you will develop your knowledge and skills and build an understanding of the patient’s journey and the work of others in their care.

On successful completion of the course, you will be a clinically safe and competent practitioner, able to show knowledge and a clinical understanding of the theories and principles of operating department practice.

Your future career

You will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) upon successful completion of the course. Newly qualified operating department practitioners typically start their careers on a band 5 (NHS) before progressing to higher bands following professional development and experience over a period of time.

With experience, additional education and training, you could go on to any number of roles in the UK and abroad. These may include non-medically qualified anaesthetist (anaesthesia associate), physicians associate, surgical care practitioner, resuscitation training officer, transplant teams, Accident and Emergency, Intensive Therapy Units (ITU), management and education.