BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice (Apprenticeship)

Core units

• Foundations of Surgical Care: An introduction to the basic concepts and skills required for surgical practice and care.
• Foundations of Anaesthetic Care:  An introduction to the basic concepts and skills required for anaesthetic practice and care.
• Foundations of Postanaesthetic Care: An introduction to the basic concepts and skills required for postanaesthetic practice and care.
• Anatomy & Physiology for Perioperative Practice: Develop the fundamental scientific knowledge that underpins clinical practice. Gain the understanding of human anatomy, physiology, medical physics and basic pharmacology - based on core subjects that are typical in the perioperative setting.
• Foundations of Operating Department Practice: This unit underpins your first year of study and introduces the foundations and principles of Operating Department Practice that are developed in detail in other units. 
• Learning in Higher Education for Healthcare Practice: 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 multidimensional nature of intra-operative practice, and to develop an understanding of individual responsibility in the delivery and coordination of safe and dignified care, using the principles of evidence-based practice.
• Developing Anaesthetic Care: Develop knowledge of anaesthetic care, and gain opportunities to engage in the practice and coordination of advanced anaesthetic interventions to deliver safe and dignified care.
• Developing Postanaesthetic Care: Develop knowledge of postanaesthetic care, and gain opportunities to engage in the practice and coordination of safe and competent care to patients with more complex needs.
• Perioperative Science: Develop a deeper understanding of how science underpins the core principles of perioperative science. Core topics include pathology, pharmacology, physiology, physics and biochemistry.
• Research for Professional Practice: Develop advanced skills in research, thinking and problem-solving, enabling critical engagement with evidence-based practice. Gain confidence in the skills required to critically appraise professional research literature and appreciate its significance for practice.
• Medicines Management for Perioperative Practice: Develop your knowledge of medicines management in the perioperative environment and explore the responsibilities of the Operating Department Practitioner. Core topics include various aspects of medicines management, such as pharmacology, legislation and adverse reactions. 

Core units

• Enhancing Postanaesthetic Care: Enhance your knowledge of postanaesthetic care in patients with complex needs and develop a critical understanding of current and emerging evidence related to postanaesthetic practice.
• Enhancing Surgical Care: Develop a critical understanding of current and emerging evidence related to extended surgical practice to enhance your clinical skills and knowledge, and to develop an autonomous and accountable standard of practice. 
• Enhancing Anaesthetic Care: 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 preoperative assessment team to inform anaesthetic decisions.  
• Transitioning to Registered Operating Department Practitioner: Gain a thorough understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities existing in contemporary healthcare, creating proactive and compassionate registered Operating Department Practitioners. This unit emphasises critical reflection on the intersection of the principles of sustainability, social equity and clinical governance in shaping the future of healthcare practice. 
• Evidence for Professional Practice: Undertake an in-depth, independent study on one aspect of professional practice. Develop skills in searching and evaluating the quality of different types of literature, and learn to analyse and synthesise your findings to identify evidence that will enhance your professional practice.
• Leading & Managing Change in Healthcare:  Develop the leadership and management skills necessary to undertake a service improvement project and to work with – or within – multidisciplinary teams in your future career.

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)

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

For each placement, you will be assigned a qualified practitioner who will support you throughout your placement. 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 improving the lives of surgical patients through compassionate care
• Have the motivation and commitment to undertake the course
• Show respect and dignity to all – recognising that every person counts
• Have experience of working in a care setting – preferably an operating department
• Are aware of the technical, as well as the caring, aspects of the profession
• Demonstrate commitment to the quality of care and the importance of personal skills and qualities when working with 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!"