Frequently Asked Questions
What do we mean by 'The September 2007 version' of the programme?
Every five years the Diploma in Higher Education Operating Department Practice course has to be re-validated to ensure it meets the requirements of the awarding Universities (The University of East Anglia & The University of Essex in partenrship with UCS) and regulatory and professional bodies i.e. the Health Professions Council (HPC) and College of Operating Department Practitioners. This is all part of the quality management of education provision to ensure courses are current and relevant.
Why revalidate the courses?
The course is approved by the Health Professions Council and incorporates the HPC Standards of Proficiency for Operating Department Practitioners. These have been mapped across the programme to ensure all the standards are being assessed and met. Students who successfully complete the course are eligible for HPC registration as an Operating Department Practitioner and have proved themselves to be fit for purpose, fit for their award and fit to practice ODP. Both courses incorporate the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Subject Benchmarks for Operating Department Practice and Graduate Key Skills. Again, these are mapped into the course. Operating Department Practice is a rapidly changing profession with new developments in the NHS; revalidation of the course allows such changes and new technologies to be incorporated into current course curriculum to ensure students successfully completing the course are up to date with current practice. The School of Allied Health Professions and Science is constantly striving to enhance the courses. The re-approvals process allows for major developments and minor amendments to course structure and content which build on the strengths of the existing provision and address areas where improvements/amendments are required.
When were we last revalidated?
In 2007, a validated course runs for a period of five years. Our current programme began in September 2007 and will run through to July 2012.
Does this mean that improvements to current programmes cannot be made?
No not at all. We are always striving to offer the best course possible for our students and minor amendments to the existing course design, content and assessment can be made providing the UCS Higher Education Approvals and Review Committee agree these amendments.
What innovations were introduced in 2007?
There were many changes made to ensure that education and practice, working in partnership, deliver a programme that realises our ambition to produce a new generation of Operating Department Practitioners who are fit for purpose, fit for their award and fit to practice.
The most significant were:
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Restructuring to a two semester per year model in keeping with acknowledged 'best practice' in the University sector. This reduces the amount of assessed work that students need to do, giving them a far more manageable work load, while increasing the depth and range of assessment.
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Designated professional practice modules that run across a whole academic year. i.e.
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Professional Practice 1 will run throughout Certificate level (year 1) Professional Practice 2 will run throughout Intermediate level (year 2)
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The introduction of professional practice portfolios that students will maintain and complete in each year.
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Theory is taught in blocks with one clinical day which aims to orientate students to the clinical environment in the first semester, and to maintain clinical links in the subsequent semesters.
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Clinical placements are arranged in blocks to allow students an uninterrupted clinical placement. Students are required to attend clinical placements 37.5 hours per week, off duty is to be agreed with mentors.
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Students will have a practice attendance requirement of 95% to meet the College of Operating Department Practitioners clinical hours requirement.
Why introduce these innovations?
Running a two-semester scheme allows for two longer academic and clinical blocks thus allowing sufficient clinical and academic input time per year when compared with three-semester schemes, but allowing students slightly longer summer holidays, clinical recovery weeks and reading weeks. This means:
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Students will have a long period of annual leave to rejuvenate over the summer, prior to commencing the next academic year.
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Those students who need to make up or complete extra clinical time will be able to do so during the recovery weeks.
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Students have reading weeks to provide designated study time to produce assignments and prepare for examinations.
Having professional practice modules running throughout a year means that students will have a whole year to complete all their clinical placement competencies thus putting less pressure on the departments to accommodate all students in compulsory areas within in a short space of time. This also enhances the students' learning experience by focusing on their development as a practitioner rather than completing a specific practice competency.
What will the students be studying?
The program is modular. Four academic modules and one Practice module are completed each year.
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Certificate level (Year One)
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Intermediate level (Year Two)
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Professional Practice 1
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Professional Practice 2
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Human Anatomy & Physiology
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Anaesthetic Practice
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Introduction to Operating Department Practice
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Surgical Practice
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Inter-professional learning - Communication and interpersonal skills
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Post-operative Recovery Practice
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Planning Holistic Care
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Inter-professional learning – Getting to grips with research
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Where and when will the students visit different clinical areas?
Students will rotate through all practice areas experiencing anaesthetics, scrub and recovery. Feedback from students has allowed us to identify placements suitable for first and second year students; this will ensure that students receive the best possible clinical experience at a time suitable for their skills. These are:
Year One students will have placements in
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Day Surgery
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Surgical Ward
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Obstetrics and Gynaecology
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Genito-Urinary Surgery
Year Two students will have placements in
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General and Vascular Surgery
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Trauma and Orthopaedics
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Ear, Nose and Throat
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Emergencies
These divisions are by year only, the exact sequence of placements will vary from student to student.
Are clinical staff involved in the design of courses?
Unfortunately it is not feasible or appropriate to ask for input from every member of clinical staff involved in the education of UCS ODP students, however all clinical sites were invited to provide a clinical representative at all re-validation working parties. A selection of clinical managers and mentors are present at re-validation events along with a selection of current students from all years.
What do we need to know about practice portfolios?
The main principles are:
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Students will have one practice portfolio for a whole year.
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Students will have clinical placement objectives to achieve but they have a year to complete them. All the clinical placement objectives to be achieved for the year will be in the one portfolio.
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Students are required to complete case logs. These will become part of the evidence within the portfolio.
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Students will produce formal reflections per placement which form part of the portfolio assessment
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There will be two progress meetings per year, during which the student and an academic lecturer will meet and review the student's progress:
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At the end of the first semester (half-way through the year). This meeting is just to ensure that the student is on track to complete the portfolio successfully and to begin (or review) any action planning necessary.
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At the end of the final semester.
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All sections of the Practice Portfolio must be completed by the final meeting and the student will be given a pass or refer award for the portfolio, and hence the clinical component of their Professional Practice module. These meetings will be known as "Personal Development Reviews" and are a common method of assessing clinical competence.
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Students will be assigned a mentor for each placement and will be encouraged to meet them 3 times during each practice placement.
From the Course Team|
Clinical Assessment - The Portfolio| Practice Placement Attendance, Practice Competencies, Written Evidence, Clinical Database
Student Support in Practice & Supervision Protocol|
Procedure for Reporting Unsafe Practice - ODP Students|
Contacts|
Health Partners Home Page|