Operating Department Practice

Our BSc Operating Department Practice (ODP) prepares you for a rewarding career in an essential clinical profession.

Operating Department Practitioners provide skilled and holistic care to support surgical patients at all stages of surgery, from anaesthetics, scrub, and recovery. Operating Department Practitioners also play a critical role in a hospital’s ability to carry out surgery, working as part of the surgical team and as a link to other teams and departments within the hospital.

Studying Operating Department Practice at Swansea University will equip you with the life-long skills and experience needed to succeed in this varied role, encompassing perioperative care, teamwork and attention to detail.

Over the course of this three-year, full-time programme you will gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of contemporary Operating Department Practice, with a commitment to delivering safe and effective care to the perioperative patient.

Operating Department Practice at Swansea follows a spiral design based on the four “Pillars of Practice”:

• Clinical Practice

• Facilitation of Learning

• Leadership

• Evidence, Research and Development

Our approach will help you develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and understanding required to be eligible to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to become a registered Operating Department Practitioner upon completion of the course.

Our Operating Department Practice programme has been designed to maximise your time in university and clinical practice, providing a combination of academic, practical and clinical skills that enrich your learning experience and ensure you become a safe, autonomous and reflective Operating Department Practitioner.

You will be taught by qualified Operating Department Practitioners and experienced healthcare professionals, including nurses and clinical specialists, who bring together academic rigour, professional insight and up to date expertise in perioperative care.

If you can commit to working in Wales for two years after graduating, you could get your tuition fees covered in full through the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, as well as maintenance funding and a reduced rate loan from Student Finance.

Health Professions at Swansea University is ranked 1st Overall in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2025)

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Foundations of Academic and Professional Learning in Operating Department Practice; Becoming an Allied Health Professional (AHP); Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice for Perioperative Care; Essential Biosciences for Perioperative Care; Perioperative Clinical Skills.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Leadership Skills for the Operating Department Practitioner; Application of Evidence-Based Practice for Perioperative Care; Pharmacology for Perioperative Practice; Diversifying Perioperative Care Delivery; Perioperative Clinical Skills.
 
In Year 3, you will typically study areas including: Facilitation of Learning and Teaching in Operating Department Practice; Advancing Leadership and Management for the Operating Department Practitioner; Independent Research for Operating Department Practice; Perioperative Clinical Skills.

Assessments will include practical OSCEs, written exams, oral presentations, written assignments, and clinical skills assessments. The range of assessment methods is chosen to develop and demonstrate a range of skills transferable to the modern healthcare environment including reflection, oral and written communication, confidence and competence in care delivery and the ability to research, appraise and evaluate evidence.

Placement competency will be assessed by your practice educator during formative learning such as simulation and clinical skills delivery in specialist areas.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Health and Care Professions Council