Operating Department Practitioner (ODP)

You will mainly work in operating departments/theatres. You will work alongside other professionals (such as doctors and nurses) and take a lead role in ensuring a patient is safe during each stage. ODPs must continually make professional decisions to ensure the patient receives the best care before, during and after their surgery. ODPs also ensure that the operating theatre environment is safe and effective and therefore have expertise in the management of specialist equipment and materials in a highly technical environment, for example handling surgical instruments, checking anaesthetic equipment, moving patients and giving medication.

You must demonstrate confidence, compassion, competence and effective judgement; being responsible for your decisions. You must use evidence based practice to inform & evaluate the effectiveness of the actions you take with the aim of continually improving outcomes for patients.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is a rewarding career which entails working with individuals to enable them to participate in meaningful occupations and activities of everyday life.

As a career, Occupational Therapists require a highly developed knowledge and professional skill-set enabling them to work across a range of settings and environments, ranging from birth to end of life. Occupational Therapists work in many settings, including health organisations, social care services, housing, education, voluntary organisations, or as independent practitioners.

They also work in a wide variety of specialties including working with individuals with physical and mental health conditions, learning disabilities, long-term conditions, palliative care needs. Due to their condition or circumstances, these individuals may have difficulty carrying out their daily activities.

Occupational Therapists are problem solvers who aim to help people to carry out these activities – or ‘occupations’ – that they need to do and want to do by providing ‘practical support to empower people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers preventing them from doing the activities that matter to them’ (Royal College of Occupational Therapists 2019).

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a science-based profession.  You will work with individuals, their families and carers, from birth to end of life. You will lead and deliver programmes and interventions to help people affected by injury, ageing, illness or disability. Physiotherapists use a range of physical and psychological treatment approaches, including movement, exercise and manual therapy, to optimise an individual’s mobility, function and quality of life. You will also provide education about health and wellbeing and provide specific advice that can be applied to everyday activities to manage and reduce the risk of pain or injury.

The profession helps to encourage development and facilitate recovery, enabling people to remain independent for as long as possible. As a Physiotherapist, you will practice as an autonomous, independent practitioner, while contributing strongly to team-working. You will work with people who may present with complex and challenging problems resulting from multiple illnesses, injury or disability.