Studying our Operating Department Practice BSc (Hons) course will equip you with specialist knowledge and practical skills in anaesthetics, surgery and post-anaesthetic care to support patients in and beyond the operating theatre. To build on the foundations of your study, Sciences for Perioperative Practice will develop the scientific knowledge around human anatomy, physiology as well as sociology to effectively meet patient needs and to take action in the operation department. You will enhance your understanding of the role and responsibilities of a perioperative practitioner in our Fundamentals of Perioperative Practice unit. This will give you the opportunity to work with patients undergoing a range of surgical and anaesthetic interventions while learning the processes and procedures used to keep them safe. As a healthcare worker, it is also important that you consider concepts and issues relating to Inclusivity and Diversity in Care. This unit will also develop your skills in communication, observation, practical application, collaboration and leadership. Similarly, you will build on these skills to develop a range of professional values, from accountability to ethical practice, in our Professional Identities for Operating Department Practitioners (ODP) unit. 

In your second year, you will develop your knowledge to handle more advanced and challenging patient care in our Advancing Perioperative Practice unit. You will undertake a range of clinical placements in operating theatres and external care environments while working alongside a professional team to assess, plan and implement care. More specifically, you will develop the skills for anaesthetic and post-anaesthetic care such as pain management, wound care and emergency surgery. Some patients may also have underlying conditions or suffer from disease, which makes it important that you consider the impact of this on their individual needs. Our unit in Pharmacology and Pathophysiology for Perioperative Practice will teach you to adapt to these specific clinical needs while also exposing you to the various medications used in the perioperative environment, its doses and how to administer them to each patient. Aside from physical health, you will also be introduced to mental health concepts that can be used to support the mental health needs of patients, their families or carers that you may encounter in the workplace alongside dealing with their physical conditions in our Mental Health Matters unit. To diversify your skill set, Change Management and Innovative Practice will equip you with the skills to design and carry out your own clinical audit by gathering quantitative data to measure outcomes against quality control standards.  

In addition, you will develop the skills to conduct research in our Evidence Based Practice for Operating Department Practice unit, including the ability to perform data collection and analysis, research methods and consider the ethical issues involved. You will progress to more advanced areas of study in your final year, such as with our Medicines Management and Pharmacology unit. Here, you will learn to administer medicines correctly and calculate drug doses using a variety of techniques. This will be useful when managing acute and chronic pain or post-operative nausea and vomiting for patients. At the same time, you will further build on your professional skills in our Supervision and Leadership for Perioperative Practice unit that will equip you with a range of tools that will allow you to reflect on your leadership abilities and promote effective teamworking. Finally, you will complete an Operating Department Practice Project that will allow you to integrate research, policy and practice that will define your role as an ODP. Our unit in Emerging Care Roles for Operating Department Practitioner will also support you in developing your employability and identifying career pathways as a registered ODP. Whether you are interested in pursuing work in operating theatres or want to branch out into areas of critical care, A&E or transplant coordination, this unit will allow you to explore this.