Amelia Theis

Highly organised and adaptable professional with 9 years of experience as an Anaesthetic Operating Department Practitioner, with the past 7 years specialising as a Senior Anaesthetic Cardiothoracic Practitioner. Strong capability in activity planning, resource coordination, stakeholder communication, risk awareness and operational delivery within complex, safety-critical clinical environments. Pursuing formal project management qualifications including APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) and PRINCE2 Foundation, with PRINCE2 Practitioner currently in progress.

Bringing transferable expertise in planning, prioritisation, communication, quality, risk management, team coordination and continuous improvement across sectors.

Senior Anaesthetic Cardiothoracic Operating Department Practitioner at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (2019-12 – Present)

Senior professional role within a complex, fast-paced cardiothoracic environment, requiring the coordination of people, equipment, information and activities to support the successful delivery of major surgical procedures.

• Coordinate and support multidisciplinary teams during complex cardiothoracic procedures, ensuring effective communication and smooth delivery of planned activities.
• Plan and prepare equipment, medications and resources in advance, ensuring requirements are identified and available at the appropriate time.
• Manage competing priorities within time-critical environments, adapting plans quickly when circumstances or requirements change.
• Work collaboratively with surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other healthcare professionals, maintaining clear communication across multiple stakeholders.
• Identify potential risks and issues during procedures and respond promptly and appropriately to maintain safety and continuity.
• Support the delivery of complex and emergency procedures where effective prioritisation, decision making and calm problem solving are essential.
• Maintain high standards of compliance, safety and quality while working within established policies, procedures and professional standards.
• Support and train junior colleagues, helping develop capability and ensuring processes and standards are understood and followed.
• Contribute to the effective running of operating theatre activities through organisation, preparation, coordination and attention to detail.
• Remain calm and effective when managing unexpected challenges, changing requirements and competing demands.
• Coordinate staff rotas, daily allocation and workforce deployment to maintain safe coverage and respond to changing operational demands.
• Conduct and support staff appraisals, personal development planning, regular feedback and competency reviews, identifying training needs and development opportunities.
• Undertake clinical and operational audits, monitor compliance with policies and standards, report findings and implement corrective or improvement actions.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, mentoring, addressing performance, conduct and attendance matters appropriately and escalating concerns when required.
• Support recruitment, induction and onboarding, ensuring new and junior team members understand local procedures, responsibilities and expected standards.
• Review incidents, complaints and operational issues, contribute to investigations and embed lessons learned to strengthen safety, quality and team performance.
• Oversee equipment and resource availability, communicate service pressures to senior stakeholders and contribute to workforce planning, policy implementation and continuous service improvement.

Anaesthetic Operating Department Practitioner at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (2017-11 – 2019-12)

Supported the delivery of anaesthetic procedures across multiple theatre environments including neurosurgical, gastrointestinal, orthopaedics, obstetric, vascular, gynaecological, trauma, catheterization laboratories and day surgery.

• Planned and prepared equipment and resources required for procedures, ensuring activities could be delivered efficiently and safely.
• Advanced clinical skills in airway management, administering and monitoring medications, venous and arterial cannulation and catheterization.
• Coordinated closely with theatre colleagues to support smooth operational delivery and minimise disruption.
• Worked to strict safety, quality and procedural requirements while managing time-sensitive activities.
• Communicated effectively with a wide range of clinical stakeholders to ensure information was shared accurately and at the appropriate time.
• Responded to changing circumstances and emerging requirements while maintaining focus on safety and delivery.

Student Operating Department Practitioner at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (2014 – 2016)

Developed professional experience within busy clinical environments, building strong foundations in organisation, communication, teamwork, responsibility and working to defined processes and standards.

Student Operating Department Practitioner at Tavistock Hospital (2014 – 2016)

Developed practical experience of working collaboratively within healthcare teams while managing competing requirements and maintaining high standards of patient care.

Critical Care Worker at Pulse Community Healthcare (2014 – 2015)

Provided personalised care to high dependency patients and support to individuals within the community.

• Developed strong communication, interpersonal and relationship-management skills.
• Built experience of adapting to individual needs and managing sensitive and challenging situations professionally.

Operating Department Practice – University of Plymouth

Mentorship Module – University of Plymouth

Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care – Saltash College

BTEC Diploma in Business – Saltash College