Operating Department Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship

Do you want to be part of a specialised and rewarding profession?

Our course will equip you with the skills to become a dynamic, confident and competent practitioner.

Operating Department Practitioners are multi-skilled allied health professionals working within all areas of the perioperative journey. Operating Department Practitioners are key members of the multidisciplinary team, working alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, radiographers, and other health professionals. On this HCPC-approved accelerated apprenticeship, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to provide safe, competent, patient-centred care through the three phases of the perioperative journey: anaesthetics, surgery and recovery.

You will develop your learning in five broad areas:

• Professional Practice
• Professional values and behaviours
• Professional standards
• Leadership and management
• Communication and information

On successful completion of this Level 6 apprenticeship, you will gain a BSc (Hons) in Operating Department Practice, making you eligible to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration. 

Course highlights

• Learn on a course with a 100% student satisfaction rate. (NSS, 2022)
• State-of-the-art immersive clinical skills suite to practice skills in a safe environment
• Taught by a team of enthusiastic, experienced registered Operating Department Practitioners
• Unique to this course, the academic study takes place online

Our facilities

• Immersive clinical skills suite 
• Mock diagnostic imaging suite 
• Mock hospital ward

This accelerated apprenticeship is a three-year course. Unique to this course, academic study takes place online, allowing for flexibility with self-directed study, coupled with an annual week's 'residential' week at the University of Derby where you will interact with your peers in our immersive clinical skills suite, take part in clinical simulation scenarios and attend lectures/teaching sessions taught by subject experts.

Modules are taught over three trimesters a year through online Collaborate sessions, webinars, and unit activities. You will be assessed using a variety of assessment methods to suit your learning needs, such as academic coursework/assignments, competencies, presentations, online examinations and VIVAS (Oral exams).

Each student has a personal academic tutor who is part of the core lecturing team to provide guidance to the student throughout the three years of the course and will have tripartite reviews with the student and workplace mentor at regular intervals to discuss the students' progress both academically and practically and identify any areas of additional support.

Additional support for learners who have dyslexia or additional learning needs. 

• 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades A-C or 4-9 - must include Mathematics and English or the equivalent level 2
• 112 UCAS points - or Level 3 qualification
• Valid DBS on starting the programme
• Evidence of recent study
• Ability to meet the occupational health requirements of the programme
• If applying as a candidate for whom English is a second language, the applicant should hold an overall IELTS score of at least 7.0 with no elements below 6.5 

Fees are paid by the employer.

More information for employers

The cost of this apprenticeship will normally be in line with the funding band £26,000, but we'll consider individual agreements depending on student numbers and your involvement.

Apprenticeships for this programme need to be applied for through an advertising employer. However, you can find out more from us - please see below for contact information.

Contact us

Apprenticeship Hub

• Email: apprenticeships@derby.ac.uk
• Phone: 01332 593092

Additional information about your studies

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

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