Course overview

The aim of this award is to enable staff working within decontamination environments to undertake career progression, managerial roles and lead teams of multi-professional staff. This decontamination sciences course will give breadth and depth of experience regarding evidence-based-practice, and best practice-based-evidence. Creativity will be fostered in order to enable students to evaluate and influence practice.

This course is the only one of its kind in the UK that has been approved by the Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc). The course has also been designed and developed in partnership with IDSc, medical industry and in collaboration with clinical experts.

Step off and progression points
The aim of this award is to enable staff working within decontamination environments to undertake career progression, managerial roles and lead teams of multi-professional staff.
Certificate of Higher Education (Cert Ed)
The certificate in higher education in decontamination sciences pathway aims to meet the personal, professional and educational requirements of decontamination technicians. It also aims to enable students to develop their knowledge and skills to achieve competence inline with local, national and international policies. This take one year full time and approx. 18 months to complete part-time
Foundation Degree (FdSc)
The foundation degree in decontamination sciences pathway will give breadth and depth of experience regarding evidence-based-practice, and best practice-based-evidence. Creativity will be fostered in order to enable students to evaluate and influence practice. This take one year full time and approx. 18 months to complete part-time
BSc (Hons)
Students will have the opportunity to progress onto the degree programme on successful completion of the FdSc. In addition, some students who have undertaken previous academic modules may be able to map these as Accreditation of Prior or Experiential earning, this will be undertaken on individual basis.

Additional course information

The overall aims of this pathway are:

• To meet the needs of the NHS and Independent sector within the UK and equivalents worldwide regarding up-skilling employees in the workplace using close collaboration between employers and academic programme providers in line with Modernising Scientific Careers Framework.
• To enable students to develop the ability to analyse and evaluate underpinning knowledge of the decontamination environments within which students are employed, and apply managerial and leadership principles to solve practical problems and situations.
• To enable students to understand the importance of maintaining an efficient and effective multi-professional team.
• To foster skills relating to academic and continuing personal and professional development.

The course will provide students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and emotional tools to work in and lead within this new and emerging context. The programme configuration will encourage inter-professional and multi-professional learning where students will have the opportunity to explore, learn with and from one another via the modules interactive virtual learning environment, deepening their awareness of their own and others perspectives both within and across national and international health service borders.

Assessment

A range of assessment methods are used on
this course, including:

• Poster presentations
• Written assignments
• Patch-work testing
• Practice based work books

This course is taught via distance learning and will utilise virtual classrooms and resources. These are virtual classrooms at delivered by experienced academic staff and consist of a series of interactive activities utilising vodcasts, podcasts, You Tube links and direct links to our virtual learning environment.

Meet the team

Angela Cobbold, Course Leader

Angela qualified as an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) 1993, whilst serving in the Armed Forces. Her specialist areas include anaesthetics, surgery, laparoscopic surgery, surgical endoscopy, post anaesthetic care unit and with additional qualifications in the Advanced Scrub role.

Her current role at Anglia Ruskin University includes teaching on a variety of modules, primarily pre-registration Operating Department Practitioners (ODP), Associate Practitioners and Post Registration perioperative CPD modules. One additional role surrounds the developing and designing of new modules for decontamination of medical devices technicians and undertaking the Pathway Leadership for the new and innovative MSc Minimally Invasive Surgery and Robotics Surgery.

Prior to joining the Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education in 2009, Angela's careeer has involved undertaking the role of Associate lecturer Allied Health, University Campus Suffolk, Team Leader Surgery and Anaesthetics / Operating Department Practitioner, and Clinical Practice Educator Nuffield Health Ipswich, Heath Road Hospital, Royal Hospital Haslar, Portsmouth, with additional postings whilst serving in the forces such as Gibraltar, Catterick, Aldershot, Woolwich and Germany.

In 2010, Angela was awarded the Ethicon Nurse and Practitioner Educational Trust Fund award for further professional development and enhancing the standard of expertise.

Research Interests

Current research interest surround the importance of standardised education and training for flexible endoscope decontamination, and to ascertain if this will empower staff, improve staff retention and job satisfaction, and ultimately improve infection prevention and control for patients.

The aims of this study would be too research attitudes and experiences of decontamination technicians surrounding education and training, and identify any perceived barriers for technicians and staff employed within the endoscope decontamination departments.

Associated careers

This course will allow decontamination technicians and staff will be trained to UK/NI, and European local and national standards which will ensure best practice and high standards are maintained to ensure an efficient and effective decontamination of flexible endoscope service.

This FdSc decontamination sciences award is a practice based diploma that underpins theory with best practice. This programme does not necessarily replace current decontamination education, but enables individuals to progress personally and professionally by gaining academic qualifications. Working within the decontamination environment can often pose both rewarding and challenging situations, therefore, by undertaking this pathway, and the option to progress to BSc (Hons), it will enable students plenty of scope to develop professionally and provide career opportunities in line with Modernising Scientific Careers Framework for all staff from technicians to decontamination leads

Links with industry/Professional recognition

This module is fully accredited by the Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc) the professional body for this group of technicians, and is suitable for anyone involved in achieving best practice nationally or internationally.

Work placements

This is a work based DL course.

Entry Requirements:

There are no specific entry requirements as these modules are designed to educate and inform all levels of staff employed within the decontamination services from technicians to decontamination leads. All applicants must however be working within a decontamination environment

Entry requirements listed are for September 2013 entry. Entry requirements for other intakes may differ.

Entry requirements

Applicants require to demonstrate the ability to study in aspects of the following criteria:

• Level 3 (A Level or equivalent) grade C and above
• ARU encapsulation module
• NVQ Level 3

Or 80 UCAS Tariff points
Applicants are also required to have a minimum of GCSE Maths and English Grade ?C? or above, or equivalent (For example, Key Skills Level 2 in Adult Literacy & Numeracy or NVQ Level 2 in Health Care with Maths & English)

In all cases applicants must:

• Be actively working within decontamination services or related area i.e. endoscopy unit, H.M Forces sterile services. There is no minimum amount of experience required, but due to the nature of the course, and in order to support the theory and practice aspects of the course, applicants need to be employed within the decontamination services. In addition, for applicants not currently employed within decontamination services, then a minimum of 6 months experience will need to be demonstrated.
• Give evidence of personal and educational experience so that they may meet the academic and, where appropriate, practice demands of the programme.
• Have access to a computer and the internet and have basic IT skills.