Responsibilities
What will the apprentice be doing?
Operating Department Practice is an exciting and rewarding career that involves working with many different patient groups undergoing a variety of anaesthetic and surgical procedures. It's one of the only jobs within the health profession where in the morning you can be helping a woman give birth, lunchtime you can be in A&E, and the afternoon helping a routine operation.
Operating Department Practitioner's (ODP) work alongside surgeons, anaesthetists and other medical, nursing and midwifery staff to provide care for patients before, during and after they have been operated on.
You may also work in other critical areas such as intensive care units
and the accident and emergency department.
This is a fantastic opportunity to develop specialist skills in all areas of operating theatre practice, learning on the job whilst also having the opportunity to obtain a nationally recognised qualification and degree. The chance to study but have no tuition fees or student loans.
When students qualify as an ODP you can expect to work on the scrub side alongside the surgeon, on anaesthetics with the anaesthetic doctor, in recovery or you might mix and match and continue to work in all these areas.
What training will the apprentice take and what qualification will the apprentice get at the end?
- You will gain the Operating Department Practice Degree Apprenticeship Degree. (https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/operating-department-practitioner-integrated-degree-v1-0)
- You will attend 2 study days a week onsite or online.
What is the expected career progression after this apprenticeship?
On completion of your apprenticeship you will receive a Level 6 – Operating Department Practitioner degree. On successful completion of an approved programme, apprentices are eligible to apply to the HCPC for registration as an Operating Department Practitioner, which is a requirement to practice under theprotected title of Operating Department Practitioner.
Reality Check
Minimum entry requirements is 112 UCAS points or equivalent or Level 3 qualification in a Health and Social Care related course A minimum of 3 GCSEs grade A-C (4 or above) including Maths, English and another All qualifications and equivalents will be assessed on an individual basis Commitment to undergo training as required to complete programmeSkills Required
Communication skills, Attention to detail, Customer care skills, Team working, Initiative, Non judgemental, Patience, Willing to care for othersQualifications Required
GCSE or equivalent English (Grade 4) EssentialGCSE or equivalent Maths (Grade 4) Essential
A Level or equivalent A Level equivalent to 112 UCAS (Grade 112) Essential
NVQ or SVQ Level 3 or equivalent Level 3 qualification in a Health and Social Care (Grade 4) Essential