Health & Social Care

• 2 years
• Enrolment date: September
• Admission enquiries: 01642 384176
• Application forms: 01642 384176
• E: sohscadmissions@tees.ac.uk
• Full-time study not available

This course is aimed at registered nurses and allied health professionals. The surgical care practitioner (SCP) is a non-medically-qualified practitioner working across the whole of the surgical patient journey. The course prepares you for the role of an SCP in Orthopaedic Surgery. You are required to secure an SCP Trainee position in order to obtain a place on the course. The course reflects the DH (2006) SCP Curriculum Framework and is Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) of England Accredited.

This course aims to:

• provide you with the appropriate knowledge, attitude and skills to qualify as a competent SCP in Orthopaedic Surgery
• enable you to develop and demonstrate surgical techniques/procedures in orthopaedic surgery in line with safe surgical operating practices
• enable you to develop and carry out procedures involving clinical assessment skills in order to participate in the process of caring for the patient in the hospital setting
• provide you with skills to contribute towards the modernisation agenda for health within a modern NHS through audit and research.

What you study

The aim of Stage 1 is to provide the core elements of the course. The aim of Stage 2 is for you to focus on your specific surgical pathway.

How you learn

The teaching methods are clinical practice, lectures, seminars through case-study presentations, classroom practice for clinical skills, laboratory work for suturing, knot tying, and anatomy and physiology. Practice placement is core to the course and you’ll work under direct, indirect and proximal supervision of an orthopaedic consultant surgeon.

How you are assessed

Modules are assessed through a number of different methods including essays, observed structured clinical examination, a portfolio and a dissertation.

Professional accreditation/placement

The course is accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Career opportunities

There are an increasing number of qualified surgical care practitioners in the UK. Surgical areas which are currently developing this role are trauma and orthopaedics, cardiothoracic, general surgery (colorectal, vascular), obstetrics and gynaecology.

Entry requirements

Applicants should be registered nurses or allied health professionals and have:

• a minimum of two years post-registration experience in the following areas: operating theatre department, critical care, and acute care environment
• consultant orthopaedic surgeon and management support in order to obtain a place on the course.

For additional information please see the undergraduate and postgraduate entry requirements in our admissions section

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