This breakthrough new text is the first ‎'‎theory‎'‎ textbook published for ODP students studying at degree level and maps neatly onto the ODP degree curriculum‎.‎ Written by experts from the Profession the book covers the core theoretical and professional components of the ODP curriculum‎,‎ including chapters on‎:‎ Professionalism‎;‎ Law‎;‎ Ethics‎;‎ Reflective practice‎;‎ Decision making‎;‎ Psychosocial aspects of care‎;‎ and‎,‎ Research and evidence based practice‎.‎ Each chapter includes case studies and pedagogy designed to help ODP students see the relevance of these issues to their everyday practice‎,‎ and enhance learning and study‎.‎ This book is key reading for all ODP students and qualified professionals‎.‎ "This book identifies strongly the enhanced development of the operating department practice ‎(‎ODP‎)‎ profession‎.‎ It focuses well on the theory underpinning the need for the compassionate care of the patient‎.‎ Compassionate care is a fundamental requirement of ODPs now‎,‎ given the changes in the profession‎.‎ Many years ago‎,‎ the main role of the ODP was to give technical support to anaesthetists‎.‎ This has completely changed and the focus is now on ensuring safe and effective perioperative patient care using enhanced and improved knowledge and skills‎.‎ It is a fundamental requirement for ODPs to develop these advanced skills and knowledge in order to firmly establish the profession‎.‎ This book does not focus on clinical skills‎,‎ it focuses on the role of the ODP in every‎-day work‎.‎ This involves elements such as interprofessional working‎,‎ research‎,‎ patient safety‎,‎ psychological aspects of patient care‎,‎ and legal frameworks‎.‎ Most ODP text books have not emphasised the importance of these topics ‎- whereas this book does‎.‎ The value of this book is firstly to emphasise the knowledge and understanding needed by ODPS to care for patients appropriately‎,‎ and secondly‎,‎ to emphasise the improvements that the profession has been undergoing over the past few years‎.‎ Based on the information within this book‎,‎ students‎,‎ practitioners‎,‎ theatre managers and even surgeons and anaesthetists will be able to better understand the modern role of the ODP‎.‎ Technical skills are obviously still important‎,‎ but even more important is the safety and compassionate care of patients in the operating environment‎.‎ This can only be achieved by a combination of knowledge and skills‎,‎ working in harmony with other professionals‎.‎ This book will provide a sound basis for the promotion of the ODP profession and the better understanding of all other professionals on the way that ODPs now work‎.‎" ‎(‎Paul Wicker‎,‎ Head of Perioperative Studies‎,‎ Edge Hill University‎,‎ Ormskirk‎,‎ UK‎)‎‎.‎