Operating Department Practitioner (Integrated Degree)

Approved for delivery on the 28/06/2018, the operating department practitioner (integrated degree), Degree apprenticeship standard provides a level 6, integrated degree upon completion. This apprenticeship will typically take 48 months to complete, not including the End-Point Assessment Period.

Operating department practitioners (ODPs) work in operating theatres supporting doctors and surgeons by caring for patients of all ages before, during and after an operation. They work alongside these other healthcare professionals but take a lead role when it comes to the operational care of the patient at each stage of the procedure. As well as the focus on the patient, ODPs are responsible for the safety, comfort and quality of the operating environment. As such, apprentices will develop expertise in the management of specialist equipment and materials found in the highly technical environment; for example, maintenance of surgical instruments, checking anaesthetic equipment, moving patients and administering medication.

Apprentices must be confident and relaxed in this environment and be able to continually make professional choices regarding the safety and comfort of the patient. You will need to display compassion, competence and practical judgement in all of your work and continually evaluate the effectiveness of your actions to ensure you are giving the highest level of care possible.

In your day to day work life, there are three main activities or stages to your role. There is the anaesthesia phase of care, which requires you to support and reassure patients before surgery. Then there is the surgery phase of care. The, finally, the post aesthesia care phase.

• operating department practitioner

If you would like to find out more about this apprenticeship standard, including possible duties of the role, skills and assessment method visit the Institute for Apprenticeships.