Operating department practitioner
Encyclopedia
Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are a type of health care provider
involved with the overall planning and delivery of a patient's perioperative care. They are mainly employed in surgical operating departments but can be found in other clinical areas including Accident & Emergency
(A&E), Intensive Care Units (ICU), and Ambulance Service. The title of "operating department practitioner" is a protected title in the United Kingdom
and the profession has been regulated since 2004 by the UK's Health Professions Council
(HPC). ODPs work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team that includes doctors, nurses and support workers.
In the United Kingdom, the professional body of the ODPs is the College of Operating Department Practitioners (CODP), previously known as the Association of Operating Department Practitioners (AODP).
The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP
), formerly the National Association of Theatre Nurses, is an organisation that offers membership and services to any person whether a Doctor, Nurse, ODP or Health Care Assistant (HCA).
ODPs provide care and support for patients undergoing surgery during the three main perioperative stages:
In some hospitals ODPs are members of "in-hospital" cardiac arrest teams, they work closely with anaesthetists to maintain the patient's airway and sometimes can instigate tracheal tubing where no other suitably trained person is available. They also attend "trauma calls" normally in the hospital's resuscitation area where they can deal with anything from babies with respiratory difficulties to major road traffic accident victims with polytrauma.
In some NHS Trust
s, ODPs are also an important resource used during emergency inter-hospital transfers, mainly to Neurosurgical hospitals, decompression chambers and intensive care units. ODPs prepare and facilitate transfers arranging drugs, equipment, emergency airway apparatus. The anaesthetist, ODP and two paramedics usually make up the transfer team.
Specially trained ODPs can also be the first assistant to the Surgeon. Swabs and instruments are all accounted for by the ODP to check that nothing has been left inside the patient.
The ODP may sometimes work in the circulating role during the surgical stage of a patient's care. In the circulating role, the ODP will give extra materials to the sterilised person, help position the patient on the operating table and plan ahead to supply what the surgical team may need during that case. They may also set up extra equipment needed, and act as a link between the scrub team and the rest of the hospital.
with the first intake of students in September 2009. There is potential to continue education & development after finishing this initial professional qualification. Students may decide to specialise more in the Anaesthetic phase and following further training become an Anaesthetic Care Practitioner or also known as Physicians Assistant Anaesthetics by the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Alternatively it is possible to specialise in Surgery and following further training become a Surgical Care Practitioner. These add on courses are available in a variety of full & part time formats, depending on the university.
Following the disbanding of the English National Board (ENB) there is no nationally recognised qualification for nurses working
in theatres although many universities offer the option of post registration Studies for Nurses wishing to specialise and
pursue a career in the operating department. Many of these courses are benchmarked against competencies required by the ODP
award which helps to ensure parity and that both groups of health care professionals are working to the same nationally
recognised standards.
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
involved with the overall planning and delivery of a patient's perioperative care. They are mainly employed in surgical operating departments but can be found in other clinical areas including Accident & Emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
(A&E), Intensive Care Units (ICU), and Ambulance Service. The title of "operating department practitioner" is a protected title in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the profession has been regulated since 2004 by the UK's Health Professions Council
Health Professions Council
The Health Professions Council is a statutory regulator of 210,000 health professionals from 15 professions in the United Kingdom. It was set up in 2003 under the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, to replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine ....
(HPC). ODPs work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team that includes doctors, nurses and support workers.
In the United Kingdom, the professional body of the ODPs is the College of Operating Department Practitioners (CODP), previously known as the Association of Operating Department Practitioners (AODP).
The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP
AfPP
The Association for Perioperative Practice , formerly the National Association of Theatre Nurses , is a British charity and professional body whose aims "include the promotion of high standards of perioperative care, the exchange of professional information between members and co-operation with...
), formerly the National Association of Theatre Nurses, is an organisation that offers membership and services to any person whether a Doctor, Nurse, ODP or Health Care Assistant (HCA).
ODPs provide care and support for patients undergoing surgery during the three main perioperative stages:
- Anaesthetic stage
- SurgicalSurgerySurgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
stage - RecoveryHealingPhysiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
stage
Anaesthetic stage
During this stage of a patient's care, ODPs prepare the drugs and equipment needed for the patient to undergo anaesthesia. This may involve preparing and checking the anaesthetic machines, intravenous drugs / fluids, and devices to maintain the patient's airway (e.g. laryngeal masks or endo-tracheal tubes). ODPs will also communicate with the patient when they arrive in the anaesthetic room, verifying the pre-op check-list for allergies and past medical history. These last "barrier" checks can sometimes discover important information that no-one else has picked up on, such as allergies and fasting status for example. They assist the anaesthetist with the planned anaesthetic. They stay with the patient throughout their surgical intervention and alongside the anaesthetist help to maintain the "triad of anaesthesia" which consists of:- Analgesia (pain control — opioidOpioidAn opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...
and non-opioid analgesics etc.) - Muscle Relaxation (muscle control via relaxants to facilitate ventilation or surgical requirements)
- Hypnosis(drug induced sleep)
In some hospitals ODPs are members of "in-hospital" cardiac arrest teams, they work closely with anaesthetists to maintain the patient's airway and sometimes can instigate tracheal tubing where no other suitably trained person is available. They also attend "trauma calls" normally in the hospital's resuscitation area where they can deal with anything from babies with respiratory difficulties to major road traffic accident victims with polytrauma.
In some NHS Trust
NHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
s, ODPs are also an important resource used during emergency inter-hospital transfers, mainly to Neurosurgical hospitals, decompression chambers and intensive care units. ODPs prepare and facilitate transfers arranging drugs, equipment, emergency airway apparatus. The anaesthetist, ODP and two paramedics usually make up the transfer team.
Surgical stage
The ODP's job during the preparation stage involves the ODP scrubbing his or her hands up to the elbow to prepare for the surgery; wearing a sterile gown and gloves; getting all the sterile instruments and equipment ready to be used for the operation; and working with the surgeon, passing the instruments within the sterile area.Specially trained ODPs can also be the first assistant to the Surgeon. Swabs and instruments are all accounted for by the ODP to check that nothing has been left inside the patient.
The ODP may sometimes work in the circulating role during the surgical stage of a patient's care. In the circulating role, the ODP will give extra materials to the sterilised person, help position the patient on the operating table and plan ahead to supply what the surgical team may need during that case. They may also set up extra equipment needed, and act as a link between the scrub team and the rest of the hospital.
Recovery stage
When the operation has finished, the patient is taken to the recovery unit where the ODP will check the patient, providing airway management if needed and monitoring the patient's physiological signs. The ODP will then give treatment such as the administration of prescribed drugs or other procedures, allowing the patient to fully recover from the effects of anaesthesia. The ODP will also check if the patient needs help from a physician or can be safely discharged to the ward.Training
There are 28 universities in the UK that offer a Diploma in Higher Education qualification in Operating Department Practice. It is usually a two year full time course with some universities offering part time courses. The course is a balance of theory and practice, with the professional body requirement that students achieve a minimum of 3000 hours. A degree programme in the subject is currently being considered by the professional body with a view to this becoming the minimum level qualification to gain entry to the register by 2012/2013. The first BSc (Hons) in Operating Department Practice leading to eligibility to apply for registration was validated by Canterbury Christ Church UniversityCanterbury Christ Church University
Canterbury Christ Church University is a university in Canterbury, Kent, England. Founded as a Church of England college for teaching training it has grown to full university status and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2012. The focus of its work is in the education of people going into...
with the first intake of students in September 2009. There is potential to continue education & development after finishing this initial professional qualification. Students may decide to specialise more in the Anaesthetic phase and following further training become an Anaesthetic Care Practitioner or also known as Physicians Assistant Anaesthetics by the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Alternatively it is possible to specialise in Surgery and following further training become a Surgical Care Practitioner. These add on courses are available in a variety of full & part time formats, depending on the university.
Following the disbanding of the English National Board (ENB) there is no nationally recognised qualification for nurses working
in theatres although many universities offer the option of post registration Studies for Nurses wishing to specialise and
pursue a career in the operating department. Many of these courses are benchmarked against competencies required by the ODP
award which helps to ensure parity and that both groups of health care professionals are working to the same nationally
recognised standards.
See also
- Anaesthetic TechnicianAnaesthetic TechnicianAn anaesthetic technician or anesthesia technician is an allied healthcare worker who assists with the administration and monitoring of anaesthesia and has an extensive knowledge of anaesthesia techniques, instruments, supplies, and technology.Anaesthetic technicians are mainly employed by...
in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
healthcare - Surgical technologistSurgical technologistA surgical technologist, also called "scrub tech," "surgical technician," or "operating room technician", is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care in some countries. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques...
in United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
healthcare - Clinical officerClinical officerClinical officers are health care providers who practice modern medicine. They practice independently but may be supervised by a physician in some settings....
s in sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
External links
- www.odptalk.com: #1 Official Website and Forum for ODP's
- http://www.otjonline.com/ www.otjonline.com: The Operating Theatre Journal
- www.theatreteam.co.uk: Website and forum for ODP's
- Health Professions Council
- The Role of the ODP (CODP)
- Association for Perioperative Practice
- http://www.operatingtheatrejobs.com/ www.operatingtheatrejobs.com Recruitment site for ODP vacancies