BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice

Study based in Bournemouth. Placements (over 50% of the course) in Dorset, West Hampshire, South Wiltshire or South Somerset. UCAS code B991

A Foundation Year is available on this course. See page 64 for more information

Key Information

Approved by: Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Duration and delivery: 3 years full-time with mandatory placements

Entry requirements: 104 - 120 tariff points

Required subjects:

None

If English is not your first language: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component or equivalent

See website for latest details of:

Entry requirements, contact hours and course costs

Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are a vital part of the operating department team, responsible for delivering safe, high-quality care to patients during anaesthesia, surgery and recovery.

Clinical settings

As a student ODP you will be working with surgeons, anaesthetists and other healthcare professionals to ensure every operation is as safe and effective as possible, to save or improve patients’ lives. Taught by staff with perioperative experience and currently in practice, you will learn practical skills in our state-of-the-art facilities, including an operating theatre simulation suite, with highly accurate and life-like manikins. You’ll then have plenty of opportunities to put your learning into practice and get real hands-on experience working in a variety of surgical and other clinical settings, during multiple work placements that make up over 50% of your time on the course.

Specialist and transferable skills

ODPs work in three main areas of perioperative care and the course has a focus on each: anaesthesia, surgery (sometimes known as scrub) and post-anaesthesia (recovery). You will also gain skills related to working in pre-operative assessment, intensive care, A&E, patient transfer teams and other more specialised areas of care. As well as the expert knowledge and skillset acquired throughout the course, you’ll also gain numerous transferable skills, such as leadership, problem solving, teamwork and communication – all essential for a varied career in the NHS or private sector.

Highly employable

Becoming an ODP means you will be highly employable nationally and this three-year course is approved by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) so that, upon successful completion of the course, you will be eligible to apply to the HCPC for registration as an Operating Department Practitioner.

The supportive lectures and great learning environment on the ODP course made me more confident and also equipped me well for helping my hospital in the battle against Covid-19.

Louise Harvell, graduate

Key areas of study