Hello ODPs,
I have very little knowledge of your role as I have only worked in a department which employs anaesthetic nurses but not ODPs (and this was only one weeks' placement!)
How would you describe your role? What is your scope of practice? What is a typical day like for you?
Many thanks!
Ben
ODPs - What is your Role?
#1
by [email protected] on Mon, 2017-01-30 13:01
Hi Ben
In the UK, the Operating Department Practitioner, as the name suggests, is a specialist skilled perioperative role that encompasses all aspects of the patient journey within the primary qualification. They are the patients advocate and you will find ODP’s preparing the anaesthetic room and assisting anaesthestist, in the operating theatre scrubbing to assist the surgeon, in the recovery unit caring for and monitoring the patient as they wake up.
You will also find ODP’s outside the operating department where they have roles in management, training & education, resuscitation, critical care, emergency department, transfer systems and university’s as well as commercial roles in industry. ODP’s may undertake clinical interventions such as airway management and vascular access and may go on to perform advanced roles in anaesthesia & surgery to name but two.
This is a very outline sketch and other ODP's may add to this with their comments.
RIch