BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice (Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship)

Core units

• Foundations of Surgical Care: You will be introduced to the basic concepts of surgical practice and will be provided with opportunities to acquire and develop knowledge and skills for surgical care. 
• Foundations of Anaesthetic Care: This unit introduces foundation knowledge relating to anaesthetic practice and provides you with opportunities to acquire and develop knowledge and skills for anaesthetic care. 
• Foundations of Postanaesthetic Care: This unit provides an introduction to the basic concepts of postanaesthetic practice and provides opportunities to acquire and develop knowledge and skills for postanaesthetic care. 
• Anatomy & Physiology for Perioperative Practice: You will develop fundamental scientific knowledge that underpins clinical practice. This will enable development of understanding human anatomy, physiology, medical physics, and basic pharmacology which is required for the foundations of clinical practice. As a foundation unit, this will mainly be based on core subjects that would be typical in the perioperative setting. 
• Foundations of Operating Department Practice: This unit underpins the first year of the programme and it introduces the foundations and principles of Operating Department Practice that is developed and integrated into other units within the programme. 
• Learning in Higher Education for Healthcare Practice: You will develop the personal and academic skills necessary to learn effectively in higher education and to support your development as a healthcare professional. 

Core units

• Developing Surgical Care: This unit provides a framework to explore the multi-dimensional nature of intra-operative practice and develop an understanding of individual responsibility in the delivery and co-ordination of safe and dignified care, built using the principles of evidence-based practice. 
• Developing Anaesthetic Care: You will develop knowledge relating to anaesthetic care and get opportunities to engage in the practice and co-ordination of advanced anaesthetic interventions to deliver safe and dignified care. 
• Developing Postanaesthetic Care: This unit develops knowledge relating to postanaesthetic care and provides opportunities to engage in the practice and co-ordination of safe and competent care to patients with more complex needs. 
• Perioperative Science: You will build knowledge and clinical experience to develop a deeper understanding of how science can underpin core principles of perioperative science. Core topics will be used to illustrate scientific aspects, such as pathology, pharmacology, physiology, physics and biochemistry.  
• Research for Professional Practice: This unit builds on foundation studies in order to advance skills in research, thinking and problem-solving to enable critical engagement with evidence-based practice. You will gain confidence in your skills to critically appraise professional research literature and appreciate it is significant for practice. 
• Medicines Management for Perioperative Practice: This unit develops knowledge of medicines management in the perioperative environment and explores the responsibilities of the operating department practitioner. Core topics will be used to enhance understanding of various aspects of medicines management, such as pharmacology, legislation and adverse reactions. 

Core units

• Enhancing Postanaesthetic Care: This unit builds upon the knowledge relating to postanaesthetic care of patients with complex needs. Additionally, this unit aims to develop critical understandings of current and emerging evidence related to postanaesthetic practice.  
• Enhancing Surgical Care: You will develop a critical understanding of current and emerging evidence related to extended surgical practice to enhance clinical skills and knowledge, developing an autonomous and accountable standard of practice. 
• Enhancing Anaesthetic Care: You will enhance your skills and knowledge in obtaining patient history and performing physical assessments of relevant body systems, distinguishing normal findings from pathological ones as part of a wider pre-operative assessment team to inform anaesthetic decisions.  
• Transitioning to Registered Operating Department Practitioner: This unit encourages a well-rounded understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in contemporary healthcare, creating proactive and compassionate registered Operating Department Practitioners. It emphasizes critical reflection on the intersection of principles of sustainability, social equity, and clinical governance to shape the future of healthcare practice. 
• Evidence for Professional Practice: You will have the opportunity to undertake an in-depth, independent study on an aspect of professional practice. You will develop skills in searching and evaluating the quality of different types of literature and learn to analyse and synthesise the findings to identify evidence that will enhance professional practice. 
• Leading & Managing Change in Healthcare: This unit supports development of leadership and management skills when undertaking a service improvement project. You will become well-prepared to work with/within multidisciplinary teams ready for when you start employment. 

You will be assessed by different coursework such as journal articles, leaflet, essays, group work, written exams and practice assessment. The assessment methods for each unit can be found on the programme profile in the programme specification for the course.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the university's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Download the programme specification (pdf 507KB)

Placements will be set usually within your place of employment. You will attend placements in different areas including anaesthesia, surgery and postanaesthesia (recovery).  

During your work-based placement you will experience the full 24-hour shift pattern which includes 10 - 12 hour shifts, evenings, weekends (advance notice will be given).

For each placement, you will be assigned a practice placement educator to support you throughout your placement and you will usually follow their shift pattern. 

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Refusing Immunisations

The University has an expectation that all students will comply with the vaccination programme as it is Public Health England requirement for health care workers to have certain immunisations. This ensures that you will be able to undertake the wide range of training placements that your course will require and aims to keep you, as well as the people in your care as safe as possible. Please note that at this time Covid-19 vaccinations are not a mandatory requirement for healthcare workers and so are therefore not a mandatory requirement for healthcare students either. Occasionally some vaccinations are contraindicated in certain medical conditions. Occupational Health (OH) will advise the University in these cases. The University will consider students on an individual basis. Refusal to have immunisations may result in the student not being allowed to attend practice placement and being withdrawn from the course. There is no opportunity to appeal against the requirements of the immunisation policy.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (previously known as CRB)

All successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barred List check via your employer; this will be a condition of offer and will need to be completed prior to commencing the course. Please see the Government website for the most up to date information.

You apply for a degree apprenticeship in the same way you apply for a normal job.  You must apply to the recruiting employer, not via the University. 

If you’re interested in completing an apprenticeship please head over to our dedicated web pages to read through what’s involved, eligibility and how to apply.

For Operating Department Practice, we are looking for applicants who:

• Have an interest in the compassionate care of surgical patients to improve their lives as well as the motivation and commitment to undertake the course
• Show respect and give dignity to people recognising that everyone counts
• Have undertaken care experience, preferably within an operating department
• Have an awareness of the technical as well as the caring aspects of the profession
• Can demonstrate commitment to the quality of care and the importance of personal skills and qualities to work together for patients.

You will be highly employable nationally. After taking on roles within operating theatres, a growing number of our graduates are moving into other areas of critical care, such as anaesthesia associate, helicopter emergency medical services, surgical first assistance, and trauma teams.

An ODP qualification is therefore incredibly versatile and can lead you into a wide range of careers and healthcare environments.

On graduating successfully, you will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Industries worked in

• Healthcare
• Education
• Research

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master's degrees.

You can also continue your education through professional development units and courses.

An apprenticeship is like a real job, however, which means you won’t be eligible for student loans or maintenance grants, and you’ll need to cover your day-to-day expenses like living costs, rent and travel in most cases.  

You can find out more about average salaries for apprenticeships on the UCAS website.   

Additional costs will be payable by the apprentice as follows: 

• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses 
• Accommodation and living costs.  
• Travel costs to and from the University campus for taught sessions (and occupational health referrals if required). 
• Travel costs to and from your placement which could be based at various locations across the southwest region. 
• There may be an additional charge for replacement uniforms. 

John has a clear focus on developing and enhancing the student learning experience on the Operating Department Practice programme. Educated in Medical Sciences, John then undertook his ODP training in 1998 at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

For a number of years, John worked as a Lecturer Practitioner, both as a Senior ODP in clinical practice (perioperative practice) and as the Programme Leader at Bournemouth University.

Debbie joined BU as a Lecturer in Operating Department Practice following a clinical, academic and managerial career in General Hospitals, Clinics, Surgical Units and Higher Education in the South of Brazil.

Having trained and performed as a professional ballerina for some years, Debbie developed an interest in the human body and its abilities and limits. This led her to another academic qualification as a surgical technologist and subsequent position as a clinical skills instructor and lecturer for the surgical tech course.

After spending most of her professional life in operating theatres and academic environment, Debbie moved to England and qualified as and ODP, practicing in both private and public sectors before re-embarking on the academic life.

Nowadays, Debbie splits her time between clinical practice working as an ODP; academic life sharing knowledge with ODP students; and research doing her PhD.

“My aim as a lecturer is to facilitate learning experiences to enable my students to progress academically and develop professionally. I believe on the power of sharing knowledge to promote critical thinking and evidence based practice.”

Emil has been a lecturer in the ODP team at Bournemouth University since 2015. Before formally joining the team, he was seconded for one day per week, from the NHS, to support teaching and clinical skills sessions on the programme. Currently, he is a part-time lecturer and still working in practice on a regular basis at several hospitals in the region.

Before Emil started his career in healthcare, he served in the British Army, which took him on deployments all over the world. As a trained surveillance officer, Emil then spent time working in the security industry before finally taking his first step into healthcare and with the support of his local hospital, he completed the ODP programme at Bournemouth University in 2011 and several years later became Clinical Educator for Surgery at Royal Bournemouth Hospital. During this time he worked at a number of hospitals in the region, supported clinical skills teaching on the ODP programme and completed his degree.

"I am very proud of the ODP programme at Bournemouth University and of the quality of our graduates. I look forward to teaching and working with you, as you begin your journey into the wonderful world of ODP!"