Operating Department Practice Diploma 2013
Studying towards a qualification in Operating Department Practice (ODP), you can expect to work with qualified NHS staff, acquiring skills essential for being part of a multidisciplinary operating theatre team and learning to support patients throughout surgical procedures.
Diploma programme
Entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements
We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers.
Conditional offers from Surrey will be made in grades or marks, and not listed in points from the UCAS tariff.
Required subjects
GCSE English Language, Mathematics and Science at grade C or above (or equivalent).
A relevant science A-level at grade B is desirable.
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 7.0 or above, with a minimum of 6.5 in each component (or equivalent).
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
Other entry requirements
Admission to this programme is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) Section 4 (2) (Exemptions) Order 1975 and DHSS Circular HC (88)9 guidelines regarding police checks and child protection. Offers are conditional upon satisfactory health and fitness for practice screening, references and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance or equivalent. Candidates must also meet national requirements to work with vulnerable adults and children.
Admission is also subject to NHS eligibility for the programme. Further information on eligibility is available at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students. Proof of eligibility is normally required prior to interview.
Candidates should have the ability to follow a shift pattern covering 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and be able to meet travel requirements. Candidates are encouraged to gain practical work experience in a care setting prior to undertaking the programme. All places are subject to commissioned numbers. All applicants should be able to demonstrate evidence of study within the last five years.
The Department of Health requires all ODP students to be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C during the induction week. Those testing positive would be subject to Department of Health guidelines for entry to the programme.
Selection process
NHS staff, as well as University tutors, are involved in selection. Suitable candidates will be invited for an interview and selection day which will include literacy and numeracy tests. Successful completion of these tests is required as a condition of entry. Applications from mature students are welcomed.
Tuition fees
NHS-related programmes
This programme is NHS funded and therefore not subject to the £9,000 tuition fee.
Applicants must meet NHS funding requirements. No self-funding applicants can be considered.For further details about the NHS Student Bursary Scheme or to obtain a bursary estimate please visit www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students
Diploma
Our ODP programmes are taught by experienced staff who are actively engaged in research activities, and who are closely involved with NHS colleagues in practice.
Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are a vital part of the multidisciplinary operating theatre team, providing a high standard of patient-focused care during anaesthesia, surgery and recovery, responding to patients’ physical and psychological needs.
In addition to core clinical skills and sound knowledge of specialist equipment and drugs, ODPs must have the ability to reassure and support patients emotionally through the stressful experience of surgery.
Our programmes are modular, with some theory aspects shared with Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice students. This exposes you to other health professionals, which is important in your preparation for multidisciplinary teamworking in the practice setting.
We value the variety of experiences that you and the other students bring to the programme and will enable you to build on these in order to develop skills of professional judgement, clinical and independent decision making.
A wide range of teaching and learning techniques will be utilised in order to enable students to achieve the knowledge, skills and competencies to fulfil the requirements for professional registration with the Health Professions Council.
Programme dates and holidays
The programme starts in September and runs over two years and four months with seven weeks’ holiday, usually at Christmas, Easter and during the summer.
Programme content
Programme overview
We aim to teach you how to be a competent operating department practitioner. Your programme will consist of three main areas: anaesthesia, surgery and post-anaesthetic care.
Anaesthesia
You will learn how to facilitate optimum conditions for anaesthesia, and how to maintain the vital functions and control the physiological responses of patients under anaesthesia in a range of specialities. You will learn to utilise skills of analysis and interpretation in the application of clinical practice, to enable safe anaesthesia and to maintain the physical and psychological well-being of individual patients.
Surgery
You will learn a range of skills that are transferable across a spectrum of surgical specialities. You will learn to use interpretive skills, problem solving and clinical reasoning to plan, prioritise and implement the care needs of the individual patient in the intraoperative phase.
Post-anaesthetic care
You will learn a range of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques to enable you to recognise and analyse normal and abnormal physiological parameters, and to interpret and respond to the patient’s condition in the recovery phase.
Professional training
As an ODP student at the University of Surrey, you will be placed within an NHS Trust operating department in which you will experience a wide variety of care activities. Professional Training placements are available in Surrey, London, Berkshire, Middlesex and Sussex. You will be prepared in advance of your placement to ensure that you are familiar with the role that you will perform. You are allocated to a single NHS Trust for your practice placements and will therefore benefit from consistent support from registered practitioners qualified to be student mentors. As you gain in confidence and experience, you will undertake more complex procedures.
Career opportunities
Graduate prospects
Operating Department Practice students have excellent prospects of employment after programme completion.
Career opportunities
ODPs are a vital part of the clinical team and provide professional expertise during the patient’s stay in hospital. Although ODPs are primarily employed within operating theatres, they are increasingly being recognised for their skills in other environments and there are many career paths to explore.
Opportunities exist in transplant teams, intensive care units, obstetrics units, orthopaedic clinics, preassessment clinics, patient transfer, day surgery units and resuscitation teams. There are also opportunities for ODPs in education and management. For more information visit:
Additional information
Teaching
We know that students learn most effectively when a variety of teaching methods is used.
In the University setting, teaching methods include:
- Practical classes and the presentation of clinical skills scenarios
- Lectures and tutorials
- Student and staff-led seminars
- Study packs, reading lists, guided and annotated reading
- Computer-aided learning and web-based teaching
- Discussion groups
- Enquiry-based learning
Within the practice environment, teaching methods include shadowing, role modelling, demonstration, observation, practice under supervision, reflective dialogue and discussion groups.
You will be allocated a personal tutor to oversee your progress and they will be available for one-to-one appointments. You will also be a member of a personal tutor group brought together for discussions, information sharing and advice.
Assessment
We use a variety of methods to assess you throughout different points in the programme. You will be assessed on both your theoretical knowledge and practical skills. As well as written work, there are student presentations, examinations and case study work. In practice you are required to build a portfolio of your experiences which demonstrates how you have met your own learning agreement, as well as the particular learning outcomes for the module. You are also required to show an understanding of and development towards the professional behaviour expected of a registered practitioner.
Registered practitioners
If you’re a registered practitioner looking for an undergraduate programme to further your learning please visit our Continuing Professional Development page.
Why Surrey?
Operating Department Practice Diploma 2013 at Surrey
- We are a leading UK academic centre for the education of health professionals
- Our state-of-the-art academic building is one of the country’s best-equipped educational centres, simulating home and acute hospital environments
- Our purpose-designed simulation suite facilitates a range of teaching and learning techniques
- Opportunity for inter-professional learning with other programmes
- You will gain theoretical and practical knowledge to become a competent ODP
- Opportunity for lifelong learning, with continuing professional development leading to higher awards
- Strong scientific and clinical foundations prepare you to practise with confidence
- Our programmes lead to career opportunities in a variety of healthcare settings
- A mixture of continuous assessment and examinations is used for both theoretical and practical experience
The theoretical and practical elements of the course link well together and, with up to twelve-week placements, there is plenty of time to consolidate learning in the workplace.
Dawn Nelson
DipHE Operating Department Practice
With five years’ experience working in the NHS in a variety of roles in accident and emergency, I made the decision to move into theatres. The role of operating department practitioner suited my background and skills.
I chose Surrey because of its reputation and affiliation with the hospital and community I’d worked in previously. The structure of the course appealed to me and the balance of practice and theory suited my learning style. The University campus was welcoming and accessible, providing the facilities and support I needed as a student. Plus, the impressive employment statistics sealed the deal for me.
The theoretical and practical elements of the course link well together and, with up to twelve-week placements, there is plenty of time to consolidate learning in the workplace.
Surrey enables its ODP students to stay in the same placement throughout the programme, allowing you to build up good working relationships with your colleagues and really feel part of the team. By supporting its students both in their academic and personal growth, Surrey has allowed me to become confident in my new skills and knowledge.
Once qualified, there are many exciting employment opportunities available in this country and abroad.
My experience at the University has led me to realise my full potential and not underestimate what I am capable of achieving.
Evelyn Russell
DipHE Operating Department Practice
I chose to study at Surrey because of the practical facilities available to help enhance my learning experience, including the state-of-the-art simulation centre, comprehensive library service and the Operating Department Practice programme leading the way in utilising technology within teaching.
The simulation dolls and operating theatres provide great experience of learning and practising skills within a safe environment before going into practice. The staff are knowledgeable and approachable, with teaching delivered using a number of methods.
I would highly recommend Surrey to students who wish to study this programme. Students graduate from this course with a high level of competency and confidence, having benefitted from a strong and knowledgeable support network, exposure to a variety of learning resources and encouragement to become a reflective and conscientious practitioner.
My experience at the University has led me to realise my full potential and not underestimate what I am capable of achieving. My confidence and trust in my own judgement has increased greatly since starting my training.
These skills and attributes benefit day-to-day life as well as work and I am grateful to have had the chance to discover and nurture them throughout the programme.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of the Dip HE Operating Department Practice programme will enable you to be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC).
Recommended next steps
Programme dates and holidays
The programme starts in September and runs over two years and four months with seven weeks’ holiday, usually at Christmas, Easter and during the summer.