Operating Department Practice (BSc)

Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are registered health professionals who have to work both autonomously and as skilled members of the inter-professional team. As part of your role, you will ensure infection control and safety standards are met, monitor patients' vital signs, manage patients' pain, and be responsible for monitoring equipment and disposables used during surgery.

On qualifying, most ODPs are primarily based in the operating department but can also work in accident and emergency departments, intensive care units, maternity departments and as members of the cardiac arrest team.

Our BSc (Hons) programme is designed to prepare you for demanding clinical practice immediately upon qualification. It also prepares you to continue your learning beyond registration and to promote continuous improvement in patient care. The programme runs for three years, during which you will gain theoretical and practical knowledge in 17 academic/clinical modules. Clinical placements accounting for approximately 60% of the programme build on this knowledge and develop the necessary skills through additional theoretical input and practical instruction in the clinical environment. Clinical placements are provided on an All-Wales basis with an expectation that students will rotate between a number of geographical locations over the duration of the programme. Additionally, placements are allocated with the aim of ensuring as wide an experience as possible for students.

The BSc (Hons) provides eligibility to apply for registration as an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP).

Inter-professional Education

It has been long been acknowledged by the Operating Department Practice profession that the operating department is a complex environment with staff of different professions and support workers working together for the care of patients. This programme utilises the opportunities offered by the inter-professional clinical environment to enhance and develop your learning. You will work alongside medical, dental and nursing students, doctors, dentists (oral surgeons) and nurses, whilst also encountering a variety of other healthcare professionals and students including, for example, radiographers, physiotherapists and pharmacists, during clinical placements.

You will also be expected to fully participate in the School's inter-professional activities in a number of shared inter-professional modules throughout the three years of the programme. Assessment on placement will also be on a multi-professional basis and you can expect to be assessed by those most suited to the particular requirements of the assessment regardless of professional background.

Visit the Cardiff School of Healthcare Sciences website for more information about modules and credits.

Year one

Year one will introduce you to the concepts and principles that underpin operating department practice. You will be guided to develop a questioning, reflective approach and to apply this approach in clinical practice. Approximately 25 weeks will be spent on placement. You will study a total of 6 modules in year one.

Core modulesModule titleModule codeCreditsPersonal and Professional Development and Communication 1HC112120 creditsTheory & Practice of ODP 4.3 [Introduction to Surgical Practice]HC109820 creditsTheory & Practice of ODP 4.4 [Applied Clinical Sciences B]HC109920 creditsTheory & Practice of ODP 4.2 [Perioperative Care]HC109720 creditsTheory & Practice of ODP 4.5 [Introduction to Anaesthetic Practice]HC110020 creditsPractice of ODP 4.1 [Applied Clinical Sciences A]HC109620 creditsYear two

In this year you will develop many of the concepts and themes introduced in year one. You will have the opportunity to build upon the knowledge and understanding previously gained. You will be encouraged to take a greater responsibility for your own development, demonstrating a greater reflective approach compared to year one. Approximately 25 weeks of this year will be spent on placement and you will again study a total of 6 modules.

Core modulesModule titleModule codeCreditsTheory and Practice of ODP 5.3 [Care during Surgery]HC211220 creditsResearch 1HC213120 creditsTheory & Practice of ODP 5.2 [Care during anaesthesia]HC211120 creditsTheory & Practice of ODP 5.1 [Pathophysiology]HC211020 creditsTheory and Practice of ODP 5.4 [Care following anaesthesia and/or surgery]HC211320 creditsPersonal and Professional Development and Communication 2HC213020 creditsYear three

The final year of the programme will build upon and enhance the knowledge base and skill sets developed in the first two years of the programme. The aim is to enable you to develop as an effective professional fully prepared for practice in the multi-disciplinary environment of the operating department. A total of 5 modules including a double credit dissertation project will be undertaken in this year, along with a total of 23 weeks on clinical placement.

Core modulesModule titleModule codeCreditsEmergency and Post Anaesthesia Care PracticeHC208620 creditsResearch and EvaluationHC208320 creditsProfessional PracticeHC208220 creditsPhysiologyHC208120 creditsAnaesthetic PracticeHC208420 creditsSurgical PracticeHC208520 credits The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.