Is becoming an operating department practitioner worth it

Just wanted to ask for some opinions on doing ODP at uni and how it is career/job wise. Is the pay decent, is it a similar role to scrub nurses?

Reply 1

normaw

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post

by sania_06

Just wanted to ask for some opinions on doing ODP at uni and how it is career/job wise. Is the pay decent, is it a similar role to scrub nurses?

There is more information about the role on the NHS website:

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/operating-department-practitioner

After graduation, you would enter the NHS on salary band 5 - currently just under £30k a year:

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/working-health/working-nhs/nhs-pay-and-benefits/agenda-change-pay-rates

Reply 2

RMS23

Original post

by sania_06

Just wanted to ask for some opinions on doing ODP at uni and how it is career/job wise. Is the pay decent, is it a similar role to scrub nurses?

The big learning point here is ODPs do so much more than “scrubbing”. ODPs now work in Intensive Care, A&E and resus (in some, not all, hospitals), as well as their main role in theatres.

At uni you train in the 3 main areas of Anaesthesia, Surgery and Recovery - and can go into any of these as a career once you graduate. As you progress you can take on further roles such as being a resus (resuscitation) officer, theatre manager, or becoming an Advanced Clinical Practitioner.

Like the above post said, you start as a Band 5 - which is the same as almost all other graduate health professions (paras, physios, etc all start at B5 from graduation), but pay does rise based on experience and job role.

There is a high demand for ODPs in the NHS at the moment, so employment of graduate ODPs is well above 90% (with some going back into further study postgrad).

It’s a really exciting career, with good prospects, and high employment rates. But make sure you thoroughly research the career.

There’s some more really good sites to look at here:

https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/operating-department-practitioner/
https://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/health-care/representing-you/unison-partnerships/codp/