BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Science
- UCAS Course Code
- B990
- Typical Offer
- BBC
- Contextual Offer
- CCC
- Course Length
- 3 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2024
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Why you should choose us
Of graduates go on to work and/or study within 15 months after the course
Course Overview
Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are an important part of the operating department team working with anaesthetists, surgeons, theatre nurses and other health care professionals to help ensure every operation is as safe and effective as possible. As an ODP, you will be integral to the planning, preparation, delivery and evaluation of clinical practice. You will gain knowledge of peri-operative practice techniques in anaesthetics, surgical and post-operative practice, which offers numerous employment opportunities. Excellent leadership, management and communication skills are also vital when working in the perioperative environment – students will develop these throughout their studies.
Taught within the School of Health Sciences, our three-year course is fully approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and prepares you for eligibility to apply for registration as an ODP. Only those who have completed a recognised program of study and registered with the HCPC may work in the NHS as an ODP. This course will give you the skills and knowledge to become a competent, highly sought-after ODP, able to provide high standards of patient care and skilled support, alongside medical and nursing colleagues during peri-operative care.
You will have a caring and compassionate nature and a thoughtful and conscientious approach, however the ODP role also requires practitioners to be able to assess and respond in a timely manner to a range of urgent and emergency scenarios. Students must be aware of their own needs and those of others in the perioperative team, making use of critical thinking skills and effective communication techniques.
As part of our recruitment process, we will explore the values of the NHS Constitution at interview, with successful candidates being able to demonstrate how these are reflected in their own beliefs.
The three-year BSc (Hons) degree programme in Operating Department Practice (ODP) prepares you for an exciting and rewarding career in the peri-operative environment. This new programme will prepare practitioners in delivering a vital component of future health and social care needs of the population.
Working in a truly multi-professional arena requires people who thrive on the excitement of a job that demands dynamic assessments and prompt reactions to ensure patient safety. The ODP degree programme will be located in the School of Health Sciences and complements the existing school portfolio of courses.
This programme will use a range of teaching methods, including lectures and seminars delivered by expert academics and clinical educators. Blended learning using online content will allow students to discuss and debate relevant topics, developing their own critical thinking skills. The use of methods including flipped classroom and simulation-based education will allow students to develop essential clinical skills and techniques in practical workshops, underpinned by academic study.
A lifelong learning approach is used throughout the course ensuring students are supported as adult learners, to develop the graduate skills, knowledge and autonomy required of a modern healthcare professional.
You will still get to enjoy the experience of your first group Basic Life Support session, learning with and from your peers whilst on campus. There will also be many other practical skills developed in our operating theatre simulation sessions which will enable you to make a valuable contribution to patient care when in practice settings.
During the course, approximately 50% of your time will be spent on practice placement. The placement environments include NHS hospitals and private organisations.
Placement allocation occurs throughout the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire with clinical placements at hospitals in Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth/Gorleston, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Norwich.
Mapped to the College of Operating Department Practice curricula and HCPC standards the learning outcomes will provide experiences and learning opportunities in a wide range of clinical specialties. All clinical placements will take place with local and regional partners based mainly within Norfolk and Suffolk.
Additional information about our clinical partners can be found here:
Accreditations
This BSc Operating Department Practice degree is fully approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and prepares you for eligibility to apply for registration as an ODP. Only those who have completed a recognised program of study and registered with the HCPC may work in the NHS as an ODP.
Study and Modules
Structure
This is a full-time three-year program with each year having three year-long modules. These modules will reflect a spiral learning approach to curricula design. In all modules students will experience an integrated theoretical and practical approach to learning. The modules are based on three themes that run throughout the programme and each year these complement and support each other, building the students’ learning journey.
The programme is organised over three years in weeks of 37.5 hours of learning: Years One and Two are thirty-six weeks in length and year three, thirty-two weeks.
In Year 1, you will study modules which will develop your knowledge and understanding of the theory and principles of practice as well as the professional values embedded within the ODP profession. Your clinical placements will focus on the care of routine elective surgical patients. During this time, you will be under close supervision of placement staff.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
The programme will be structured and directed at the outset and become progressively less directed as you progress. This facilitates your development as a student by providing you with lots of opportunity to increase your confidence and capabilities, develop your own professional identity, and prepare you for autonomous practice as an Operating Department Practitioner.
Teaching delivery will include face to face lectures and seminars, practical simulation-based learning, guided and independent group work and clinical placement experience. The clinical / theoretical split on this programme is 50/50 over the three years of study.
Assessment
A wide range of assessments are used ensuring, reflecting the modules being studied. These will include but are not limited to Oral Viva, multiple choice exams, online drug calculation exams, written assignments, poster presentation, case study, practice assessment documents and a literature review.
Structure
In this year, modules will build upon previous study, exploring the complexities of disease and their impact upon health. You will develop a greater understanding of research methods and the use of robust evidence base to support clinical care. Your clinical focus will widen to include patients requiring increasingly complex care. During this time, you will be developing increasing independence in your clinical development. The first clinical placement of year two will take place in a different hospital to the one you are normally based at. You will return to your previous hospital for the second placement of this year.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
The programme will be structured and directed at the outset and become progressively less directed as you progress. This facilitates your development as a student by providing you with lots of opportunity to increase your confidence and capabilities, develop your own professional identity, and prepare you for autonomous practice as an Operating Department Practitioner.
Teaching delivery will include face to face lectures and seminars, practical simulation-based learning, guided and independent group work and clinical placement experience. The clinical / theoretical split on this programme is 50/50 over the three years of study.
Assessment
A wide range of assessments are used ensuring, reflecting the modules being studied. These will include but are not limited to Oral Viva, multiple choice exams, online drug calculation exams, written assignments, poster presentation, case study, practice assessment documents and a literature review.
Structure
You will continue to develop your skills in clinical practice as theory modules support your planning and delivery of care under appropriate supervision, for a range of patients and service users including urgent and emergency care.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
The programme will be structured and directed at the outset and become progressively less directed as you progress. This facilitates your development as a student by providing you with lots of opportunity to increase your confidence and capabilities, develop your own professional identity, and prepare you for autonomous practice as an Operating Department Practitioner.
Teaching delivery will include face to face lectures and seminars, practical simulation-based learning, guided and independent group work and clinical placement experience. The clinical / theoretical split on this programme is 50/50 over the three years of study.
Assessment
A wide range of assessments are used ensuring, reflecting the modules being studied. These will include but are not limited to Oral Viva, multiple choice exams, online drug calculation exams, written assignments, poster presentation, case study, practice assessment documents and a literature review.
Entry Requirements
- A Levels
- BBC. If you are taking an EPQ and three A Levels, we may offer you a one grade reduction on our advertised typical offer alongside an A in the EPQ.
- T Levels
- Obtain an overall Pass including a B in the core of the T Level and a Merit in the Occupational Specialism. Acceptable subjects: Health, Healthcare Science, Science.
- BTEC
- DMM in Health, Care or Science. See below for accepted subjects and combinations.
- Contextual Offer
A Level – CCC
BTEC L3 Extended Diploma – MMM in Health, Care or Science. See below for accepted subjects and combinations.
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
- Access to HE Diploma
- Pass with Merit in 36 credits at Level 3 and Pass in 9 credits at Level 3, in a Health, Care or Science subject.
- International Baccalaureate
- 30 points
- English Foreign Language
If English is not your first language, we will require evidence of proficiency in English (including reading, writing, speaking and listening) at the level of IELTS 7.0 overall (minimum 7.0 in each component).
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
INTO UEA also offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
- Interviews
The strongest applicants will be invited to interview. Please note that meeting (or being predicted to meet) the minimum academic entry requirements will not guarantee that you will be selected for interview.
Interview invitations will be sent by email. Please keep a close eye on all emails from UEA after you submit your UCAS application. For more information on the application process and what to expect at each step, take a look at our handy Applying to HSC infographic, which explains the application journey from start to finish.
Interview formatOur interviews for 2024 will take place on our campus. You will be invited to a morning or afternoon session by email. The email will include the arrival time and building location. We use a variety of the buildings on our campus for interviews, but they will either be on our Main Campus or on our West Campus (which is around a 20-minute walk from the centre of the Main Campus, near the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital). The session will last no longer than 3 hours in total.
As part of the session, you will take part in ‘multiple mini-interviews’ with academic members of staff from the School of Health Sciences at UEA, clinicians from the profession, service users* and/or current UEA students from the course.
*A ‘service user’ is someone who has access to use health or social care services or could be affected by the services of health and social care professionals.
You will undertake your ‘multiple mini-interview’ alongside 1 or 2 other applicants for the course. Together, you will be taken to your interview room, which will be furnished with three interview stations. You will attend each interview station in turn, rotating with the other applicants you have been grouped with.
Before you visit each interview station, you will be given time to read some information. The information will include the interview questions or topics that you will be asked about. You will then be given a set amount of time with the interviewer(s), who will ask you the questions verbally.
The other applicants who you have been grouped together with will be following the same process as you at the same time. They will be speaking to alternate interviewer(s) to you simultaneously. You will all continue the process above until you have been interviewed at all three interview stations.
As part of your interview day, you will also have an opportunity to join some other sessions, for which you will not be assessed. The sessions are an opportunity for you to learn more about the course, the university, the students that study here, and for you to ask questions of current students and teaching staff. There may be an opportunity to undertake some practical skills during some of these sessions, if possible. There may also be an opportunity to tour the teaching facilities. These parts of your interview day are not compulsory, and do not form part of the assessment.
Applicants who are based outside of the UK at the point of applying will be offered an online interview. The format will match the process outlined above as closely as possible.
Interview questionsAt each interview station you will be asked questions that focus on a particular domain. The order in which you are asked about these domains will be variable. The domains are:
- Your knowledge of the professional field for which you are applying.
- Your personal qualities and suitability for the profession. To help with discussion around this domain, you may be asked to consider a scenario and asked questions about how you would respond to it. You will be given time to read the scenario before you approach the interview station, and it will also be read to you by the interviewer(s).
- Your understanding of and suitability for the course at UEA.
On all interview stations, interviewers will also consider your understanding of the values that are required of a healthcare professional. This will include your understanding of moral and ethical values, competence, commitment to improve and personal accountability. You won’t necessarily be asked specific questions about these areas, but the information you include in your answers to all questions will be considered when the interviewer(s) assess you.
Experience of healthcareWe are aware that it is a difficult time to try to gain relevant experience in healthcare. First time applicants to Nursing, Midwifery and the Allied Health Professions will all be in a similar situation.
Clinical work experience will not generally be a requirement for applying to train in healthcare. We will be looking for you to show that you are able to work with people, that you appreciate the health and social care setting, and that you understand what a career in health will involve. While we will expect you to show some understanding of what it is like to be the professional of your choice, part of this involves demonstrating that you know what it is like to work in a responsible role, particularly with the public.
Note that your experiences are only as valuable as the way you talk about them and what understanding you take from them. It is important that you think about how you might be able to demonstrate your understanding of healthcare, that you can relate this to experience or research, and that you can explain what you have learned.
What type of experience or research do you need?Any activity, life experience or research that helps you to prepare for training to be a healthcare professional will help. This means any activity that allows you to demonstrate that you have:
- Had people-focused experience of providing a service, care, support or help to others, and that you understand the realities of working in a caring profession.
- Developed some of the values, attitudes and behaviours essential to being a Nurse, Midwife or Allied Health professional such as conscientiousness, effective communication and the ability to interact with a wide variety of people. The values that we are looking for are set out in the NHS Constitution.
- A realistic understanding of Health and Social Care and in particular the physical, organisational and emotional demands of the career.
Practical ways to gain experienceKeep a reflective diary on what is happening in the news and online. Listen to what healthcare professionals have to say and reflect on this. All healthcare professionals can be a valuable source of information and experience, not just those that work in the specific profession that you are applying for. Demonstrating that you have a sense of all healthcare professions (and how they work together) will help you in both your personal statement and interview.
Volunteer in your spare time if you can, all forms of voluntary work can provide helpful work experience. If volunteer work in the NHS isn’t something that is available to you, think about what else you could explore i.e. working with other people in a caring or service role. Voluntary commitments to community groups (for example groups related to the work of churches, mosques and temples, or other groups such as Scouts or Guides) and online community support groups may also provide valuable experience of taking on responsibility, dealing with people and communicating effectively.
Remember: what is important is what you learn about yourself and about other people, and what you learn about how effective care is delivered and received. How you learn these things is only a small part of the story; it is how you communicate what you learnt that matters.
COURSE CONDITIONS
Offers will be made to applicants after completion of successful interviews, and will be subject to a satisfactory occupational health check (including evidence of appropriate immunisations), an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and two satisfactory references. We will let you know what you need to do (and when) to meet these conditions if you are successful in gaining an offer.
PLACEMENTS
During the course, approximately 50% of your time will be spent on practice placement. This might be in a variety of settings that include NHS and private organisations. Placement allocation occurs throughout the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
As this course includes patient facing placements in health or social care settings, and these are a mandatory component of the course, you will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent you from joining the course or may lead to your withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. If you intend to apply with deferred entry, please let us know about your gap year plans in your UCAS application.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Intakes
This course is open to UK applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
2.2 or above
Grade requirements:
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DMM (made up of Extended Certificate, Diploma or Extended Diploma subjects)
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DM (made up of Extended Certificate or Diploma subjects) plus B at A Level
-
M (Extended Certificate) plus BB at A Level
Subject requirements:
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Extended Diploma in any Health, Care or Science subject
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A combination of BTEC/OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 subjects, at least one of which is in Health, Care or Science*
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Any BTEC/OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 subjects* taken in combination with A Levels
*BTEC Public Services, BTEC Uniformed Services and BTEC Business Administration are not accepted to make up any grades.
55% or above
55% or above in Year 2
55% or above in Year 2, in a Health, Care or Science subject
60% or above in a Foundation Year of an undergraduate degree programme at a UK university, in a Health, Care or Science subject
1 subject at H2, 5 subjects at H3
Grade B or above in Child Care and Education (Early Years Educator)
Grade B or above in one of the following subjects:
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Children's Care, Learning and Development
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Children and Young People's Workforce
-
Health and Social Care (including Technical Level)
CCD or above
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable, please contact Admissions for further information.
We welcome and value a wide range of alternative qualifications, and we also recognise that some students might take a mixture of some of the qualifications above. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
Please note that we do not consider A Levels in General Studies or Critical Thinking, Apprenticeships, NVQs (any level) or Work-based Level 3 Diplomas (previously NVQs) to meet the minimum academic entry requirements, although these can be used as evidence of recent study. We’ll also be unable to consider you for this course if you’ve obtained an academic fail from a previous health based degree programme, including where an exit award has been achieved.
GCSE REQUIREMENTS
Mathematics and English Language at minimum grade C or grade 4 required, alongside all other specified requirements.
In place of English Language GCSE we can also consider:
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Functional Skills Level 2 English
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Essential Skills Wales L2 Communication
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Essential Skills Northern Ireland L2 Communication
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider:
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Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics
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Essential Skills Wales L2 Application of Number
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Essential Skills Northern Ireland L2 Application of Number
RECENT STUDY
We would prefer you to be able to demonstrate evidence of recent academic study within 5 years of the start of the course. If your last qualification will have been completed more than 5 years ago by the time the course starts, please contact Admissions.
AGE ON ENTRY
Applicants for this course need to be aged 18 or over by 31 December 2024. This is owing to the integrated nature of placements within the first year of the course and safeguarding implications. In view of this, applicants who will not be 18 years old or over by this date, should consider applying for deferred entry.
INTERNATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.
Note that you must be eligible for ‘home’ fees to be able to apply for this programme: Home or Overseas fees basics (UKCISA).
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
NHS Learning Support Fund
If you are eligible for tuition fee and maintenance support from the Student Loans Company, you can apply for additional financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund when studying this course.
Course Related Costs
Additional costs may include fees for:
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Enhanced DBS check
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Occupational Health clearance from your GP
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Hepatitis B vaccination or update
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Travel costs to and from your placement areas (these may be claimed back, subject to criteria)
Our placement sites also have a list of recommended local accommodation, and some have onsite accommodation available.
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Apply for this course through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), using UCAS Hub.
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information:
Employability
After the Course
Graduating from the UEA Operating Department practice programme will provide you with the knowledge and skills to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). In doing so your employment options within the NHS, private health sector and other providers are increasing all the time. Many NHS Trusts offer employment in A&E, ITU / Critical Care, Day surgery, Interventional Radiology as well as the perioperative environment. Increasingly ODP’s are assuming senior positions throughout the NHS, whilst others are involved in research and education.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
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Operating Theatre ODP
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Surgical First Assistant
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Resuscitation Officer
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Theatre Manager
Discover more on our Careers webpages.