DipHE Operating Department Practice
Two years full-time
UCAS code • B990
This course is subject to reapproval
Location • Collegiate Campus
Subject area • Operating department practice
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View profiles of students on this course
View a 360 degree tour of our mock operating theatre.
View a 360 degree tour of our mock hospital ward.
Find out about a day in the life of an ODP. Our online resource provides a real insight being an ODP and lets you hear what our students say about the course.
Our health and social care courses place a strong emphasis on interprofessional learning. This means that you train alongside practitioners from other health professions. Find out more.
FInd out more about the teaching staff in this subject area.
At a glance
Train in the specialist role of operating department practitioner in up-to-the-minute facilities that include a virtual reality suite for practical simulations. You also gain extensive real-world experience with over 60% of your course time spent on placement in clinical settings. This practice is an essential component this Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the College of Operating Department Practice (CODP) approved course.
Key points
• Train in the specialist role of the operating department practitioner.
• Practice in facilities that include an operating theatre and virtual reality suite.
• Develop extensive real-world experience with 60% of your course on placement in critical care settings.
• Gain an additional health improvement award from the Royal Society of Public Health.
What is operating department practice?
Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are a vital part of the clinical team and provide professional expertise during the patient’s stay in hospital. ODPs are primarily employed within operating theatres in all aspects of care, however they are increasingly being recognised for their diverse skills in other environments and there are many career paths to explore such as clinical practice in specialist units, people management and education.
This course
You develop the skills and experience to become an operating department practitioner (ODP) and pursue a career providing highly specialised assistance to surgeons, anaesthetists and other medical practitioners.
You learn key skills relating to the vital duties of an ODP including
• ensuring that instruments, drugs and equipment for an operation are ready for use
• ensuring that the environment is safe and free from hazards
• monitoring the patient using anaesthetic, surgical and diagnostic equipment.
Your learning takes place on the Collegiate Campus in purpose-built teaching rooms which include a fully equipped operating theatre, 3D virtual reality suite, ward and clinical areas within the Robert Winston Building. Your learning consists of large and small group teaching, seminars, workshops, self-directed and tutor-directed study.
Your university-based study consists of two academic blocks each year. The rest of your time is spent on clinical placement and makes up 60% of your course. This is essential to your studies. The clinical experience you gain enables you to match and translate your academic learning to the clinical skills needed to be an ODP. This in turn enhances your career prospects on qualification.
Whilst on placement, you work with clinical mentors and other registered clinical practitioners. This means that you are constantly supervised but as your skills develop you take more responsibility for the care of the patient, still under close supervision, until you are safe to practise with minimum supervision and ultimately develop clinical autonomy which enhances your employability.
You also study interprofessionally alongside students from other health disciplines, such as nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and paramedics. This shared interprofessional learning experience allows you to develop as a member of a team and understand the contribution of different professionals found in clinical situations.
As part of the course you complete a level 2 award in health improvement, which provides you with a certificate from the Royal Society of Public Health. We are currently the only university in the UK that offers this as part of our operating department practitioner courses.
Key areas of study
Key areas include • anaesthesia and surgical practice • skills required of a registered practitioner • working within a post anaesthetic care unit • interprofessional education • human biology.
Advanced Simulation Centre
Each year as part of the course students study at the Advanced Simulation Centre at Montagu Hospital, Mexborough. In partnership with the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority, the centre offers multiprofessional training concentrating on the important areas of crisis management, team training and communication skills for those involved in NHS clinical practice.
CPD online
CPD Online, part of our CPD Anywhere™ framework, is being offered free to new graduates of this course for 12 months, as part of our commitment to support your lifelong learning.
CPD Online is an online learning environment which provides information to help your transition into the workplace. It can enhance your employability and provide opportunities to take part in and evidence continuing professional development to help meet professional body and statutory requirements.
For further information, visit the CPD Anywhere™ website at www.shu.ac.uk/faculties/hwb/cpd/anywhere
The ODP team at Sheffield Hallam work closely with local industry such as Swann Morton who sponsor an annual student award for academic excellence and further support the course by providing access to their manufacturing plant and educational materials.
Find out more about DipHE Operating Department Practice
You apply for this course through UCAS.
2013/14 academic year
If you are studying a course funded by the Department of Health you will not normally pay any fees yourself, as they will be paid for you by the Department of Health.
You may be eligible for an NHS bursary but you will not be eligible for the bursaries and scholarships described in the Sheffield Hallam University Bursary Scheme. For more information on NHS bursaries visit www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/4002.aspx
For 2013 entry, membership of a professional body is included in the course fee.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding
• written assignments • case studies • presentations • examinations • continuous assessment of skills in placement • practical clinical tests
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Graduates are eligible to apply to register with the HCPC and apply to become members of the College of Operating Department Practitioners. You must be registered with the HCPC in order to practise as an operating department practitioner in the UK.
Key Information Set 
Victoria Richardson
DipHE Operating Department Practice, 2010 graduate
'I decided to train as an operating department practitioner (ODP) after coming across a description of the role on the NHS careers site. I was looking for a change in career at the time and this really appealed to me, I looked into it further and then applied.
'The course at Sheffield Hallam really helped prepare me for the role as a qualified practitioner. Academically the lectures provide a good grounding in the knowledge needed to carry out the job and clinical placement reinforces this and allows knowledge to be applied in the clinical environment as you learn it.
'I currently work as a theatre practitioner at York District Hospital. The role covers working on lists for elective surgery across several specialties and emergency surgery. It also includes work on ICU, maternity, attending resus, and responding to emergency calls across the hospital.
'I use the majority of the knowledge and skills gained through the course on a daily basis. There is probably only a really small part of the course that I haven’t used at some point since being qualified and that’s only because it relates to surgery/cases that I’ve not experienced yet.
'I enjoy being and ODP because of the variety the role offers, every day is different. When working in emergencies you never know what’s going to come through the door and you have to be prepared for everything. I love the challenge that this provides.
'I decided to come back to Sheffield Hallam for my post registration course because it offered what I wanted. I was living in London when I was looking at various universities and the courses they had on offer but nothing could match Sheffield Hallam. Unlike other universities Sheffield Hallam offered flexibility in their programme and subjects that I actually wanted to study further allowing me to tailor my programme to suit me, my working hours, and make it relevant to the job I was doing and what I might want to do in future. My experience at Sheffield Hallam in my pre registration training had been such a positive one it made it an easy decision to return.
'The support from tutors and facilities at Sheffield Hallam are the best I have experienced out of the courses I have done. The tutors have time for everyone and really work to help you achieve your best along the course.'
Nathan Charlish
DipHE Operating Department Practice, first year
'I chose this course as I always wanted to work within a health, medicine or surgery area. So Operating Department Practice (ODP) was the perfect choice.
'Before coming to Sheffield Hallam I studied an access course at Sheffield College but I also have experience from when I served as a medic in the Air Force.
'The staff here are great and as we're a relatively small course of 60 it has a great atmosphere, not only to study but to make friends.
'The teaching and learning facilities at Sheffield Hallam University are brilliant. I feel I have learned a lot in such a short time I have been here.
'I would recommend Sheffield Hallam University to a friend as the variety of courses means there is plenty to choose from and the post graduation employment rate is great.
'The best things about Sheffield are there's plenty of accommodation, the adventure sports available, the number of student employers and of course the Peak District.
'I left a promising career in another area to come and study and I felt I was taking a huge risk. Now that I am here and studying and have met the course tutors I no longer feel I am taking a risk and feel I'm in good hands.'
Josh Turner
DipHE Operating Department Practice
'The ODP course is amazing because of how much time you get to spend on placement, compared to the amount of time you're required to attend university. As learning in the clinical environment is highly valuable and essential, you're in a much better position on completion of the course because of the experiences that you have gone though on placement.
'I am currently on placement at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where I am working with the gynaecology and obstetrics team. This involves clinical based learning in surgery, anaesthetics and circulatory. I have been involved in everything from delivering emergency C-sections to full hysterectomys (removing the uterus).
'I think that having a clinical work placement is the most valuable learning that you can undertake as it backs up everything that you learn at University, and so you find yourself going 'OH I GET IT!' when you make the essential links between theory and practice.
'I think that Sheffield Hallam certainly has put a phenomenal amount of money both into their facilities and the quality of teaching that is provided, with tutors being complete professional experts in their fields. With the facilities it's important to recognise that they are for the students and so we can take complete advantage of them. We have access to and positively utilise them to facilitate our learning at Sheffield Hallam University.'
Profiles
Victoria Richardson
DipHE Operating Department Practice, 2010 graduate
Nathan Charlish
DipHE Operating Department Practice, first year
Josh Turner
DipHE Operating Department Practice
Mock operating theatre
Mock theatre at our Collegiate Campus gives students a hands-on experience as it would be in a real hospital.
Mock hospital ward
The mock hospital ward at our Collegiate Campus gives students a hands on experience as it would be in a real hospital.
A day in the life of an operating department practitioner
Our a day in the life of an operating department practitioner online resource provides you with a real insight into what being an ODP entails and lets you hear what our students have to say about the course. It features a mixture of video, image and text.
Together in the real world of health and social care
Our health and social care courses place a strong emphasis on interprofessional learning. This means that you train alongside practitioners from other health professions. So, depending on your course you could spend time working alongside
• nurses
• midwives
• operating department practitioners
This gives you a fresh perspective on situations. And it also prepares you for the real world. Collaboration between health professionals is increasing as organisations try to provide a more integrated and effective service. At Sheffield Hallam we understand that by working together we can we give the best possible care.
Staff profiles
Visit the Department of Allied Health Professions website to view profiles of the staff who teach in this subject area.
