Intra & Perioperative Practice (BSc)
Mode and Length of Study
The Programme is offered in full-time and part-time modes leading to the achievement of the BSc (Hons) award. Students enter the programme with advanced standing; full-time students normally complete the Programme in 15 months over 2 academic years. The modular structure of the Programme allows students to complete the compulsory modules whilst also selecting the most appropriate optional perioperative modules from a suite of modules within the Programme provision. These optional modules, amounting to 40 credits, together with the compulsory Research Skills, Professional Practice Development and Dissertation modules, make up the required 120 Level 3 credits.
Background and Rationale
The current BSc (Hons) in Operating Department Practice was introduced in 2003 in response to a growing need for the provision of post-registration opportunities for professionals working in the perioperative environment.
As a consequence many perioperative professionals seek to study at Bachelor’s level and beyond; a situation that has influenced the early re-development of the existing BSc (Hons) provision. It is anticipated that the Operating Department Practitioner profession will move to becoming an all-graduate profession in terms of the basic registerable qualification. When this situation occurs (a scoping exercise commenced in May 2007), the qualification leading to the protected title of ‘Operating Department Practitioner’ would probably be BSc (Hons) in Operating Department Practice. The change in the programme title, therefore, not only reflects changes to current practice but also potential future policy.