Dr Fiona Orr

PhD, MLitt, BHSc (Nursing), RN.

Senior Lecturer

Email: fiona.orr@nd.edu.au

  • Biography

    Fiona Orr is a Senior Lecturer and has extensive experience as a nursing academic and clinical experience in hospital and community-based mental health nursing. She is a senior lecturer and an International Student Advisor. Her teaching interests include mental health nursing, health and wellness and evidence-based practice, and she has received two Australian Awards for University Teaching, Citations, for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Her research interests include education interventions co-designed with experts by lived experience of mental health issues, experiences of living with functional neurological disorder, and educational interventions to develop nursing students’ empathy. She is a Board Director of the Mental Health Services Learning Network (TheMHS) and also serves on their Governance committee.

  • Research expertise and supervision

    Fiona has undertaken several mixed methods research studies, has co-supervised two PhD students and an Honours student to completion, and is currently supervising a PhD candidate’s research project.

  • Journal articles and proceedings

    • Goodhew, M; River, J., Samuel, Y; Gough, C; Street, K; Gilford, C; Cutler, N. & Orr, F. 2022. ‘Learning that cannot come from a book: an evaluation of an undergraduate Alcohol and Other Drugs subject co-produced with experts by experience’, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, vol. 32, no.2, pp. 446-457, https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13098
    • Asgharvahedi, F., Gholizadeh, L., Orr, F. & Khajehei, M.2022. ‘Risk of developing CVD in women with a history of gestational diabetes’, Acta Scientific Medical Sciences vol. 6, no. 7, pp. 105-111, doi:10.31080/ASMS.2022.06.1315
    • Green, J., Petty, J., Whiting, L., Orr, F., Smart, L., Brown, A.M. & Jones, L.K. 2022. ‘Blurred boundaries: when nurses and midwives give anti-vaccination advice on facebook’, Nursing Ethics, vol. 29, no. 3, pp.552-568 https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330211041749
    • Kotowski, J., Fowler, C. & Orr, F.  2022. ‘Bottle-feeding, a neglected area of learning and support for nurses working in child health: an exploratory qualitative study’, Journal of Child Health Care, vol. 26, no. 2, pp.199-214, doi.org/10.1177/13674935211007321
    • Zugai, J., Orr ,F. &, Levett-Jones, T. 2022. ‘Online gamified quizzes in undergraduate mental health nursing education: thematic analysis of students’ qualitative view, Issues in Mental Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2021.2013367
    • Orr, F., Kelly, M., Virdun, C., Power, T., Phillips, A. & Gray, J. 2021. ‘The development and evaluation of an integrated virtual patient case study and related online resources for person-centred nursing practice’, Nurse Education in Practice https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.102981
    • Levett-Jones, T., Orr, F., Simpson, C., Dean, S., Govind, N., Jakimowicz, S., Kelly, M. & Pich, J. 2021. ‘Cultivating empathy through the development of a virtual empathy museum’, Collegian, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2021.07.010
    • Green, J., Petty, J., Whiting, L., Orr, F., Walker, K., Brown, A.M., Crisp, E.P. Fowler, C., & Jones, L.K. 2021. ‘The impact of the anti-vaccination movement and vaccine hesitancy on the health of the child’, Pediatric Nursing, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 216-225, 243.
    • Green, J., Petty, J., Staff, L., Bromley, P., Orr, F.,Brown, N., Smart, L., Walker, K. & Jones, L. ‘Developing nursing knowledge on COVID-19 in children and adolescents: An integrative review’, 2021. Pediatric Nursing, vol. 47 no. 4, pp. 163-174.
    • Hawsawi, T., Stein-Parbury, J., Orr, F., Roche, M. & Gill, K. 2021. ‘Exploring recovery-focused educational programs for advancing mental health nursing: An integrative literature review’, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing,  http://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12908.
    • Kotowski, J., Fowler, C., Hourigan, C. & Orr, F. 2020. ‘Bottle‐feeding an infant feeding modality: An integrative literature review’, Maternal and Child Nutrition https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12939
    • White, M., Stein-Parbury, J., Orr, F. & Dawson, A. 2019. ‘Working with consumers who hear voices: The experience of early career nurses in mental health services in Australia’, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 605-615. 10.1111/inm.12566
    • Hogan, R. Phillips, A., Green, A., Orr, F., Elliott, D. & Fowler, C. 2019, Premature birth and Indigenous Australians: A commentary’, International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, vol. 6, issue 3, pp. 27-30.
    • Orr, F. & Wilkinson, S. 2018, ‘A roof under your head’, RICS Building Surveying Journal, March-April, pp. 10-11.
    • Hogan, R., Orr, F., Fox, D., Cummins, A. & Foureur, M. 2018, ‘Developing nursing and midwifery students' capacity for coping with bullying and aggression in clinical settings: Students' evaluation of a learning resource’, Nurse Education in Practice, vol. 29, pp. 89-94. 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.12.002
    • Wilkinson, S. & Orr, F. 2017, ‘The impact of horticulture therapy on mental health care consumers on a retrofitted roof’, refereed paper in proceedings of 23rd Annual Pacific Rim Real Estate Society Conference, Sydney, January. http://www.prres.net/proceedings.htm
    • Kelly, M.A., Berragan, E., Husebo, S.E. & Orr, F. 2016, ‘Simulation in nursing education: International perspectives and contemporary scope of practice’, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 312-321. 10.1111/jnu.12208
    • Orr, F., Kellehear, K., Armari, E., Pearson, A. & Holmes, D. 2013, ‘The distress of voice-hearing: the use of simulation for awareness, understanding and communication skill development in undergraduate nursing education’, Nurse Education in Practice,vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 529–35.0.1016/j.nepr.2013.03.023
    • Orr, F. 1993, ’From the schizophrenogenic mother to the contemporary role of carer: Women's responsibility for schizophrenia’, Journal of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, vol. 2, no. 7, pp. 306-314.

  • Other publications

    • Wilkinson, S. J. & Orr, F. 2018, ‘How retrofitting for green roofs and rooftop gardening can improve your health. Retrofit Magazine, vol .7, no. 1, pp. 46-48.
    • Wilkinson, S. & Orr, F. 2017 , ‘Biophilic urbanism: how rooftop gardening soothes souls’, TheConversation, 17 May 2017.

  • Book chapters

    • Orr, F. ‘Mental health and recovery-oriented mental health services’(ch 11), in L. Reynolds., D. Debono. & J.  Trevaglia. (Eds). Understanding the Australian health care system, (5th ed.). Elsevier. In press due Oct 2023.
    • Orr, F. 2019, ‘Cultural considerations in emergency care’, (ch 5), in K. Curtis., C. Ramsden., R. Shaban., M. Fry. & J. Considine.  (Eds). Emergency and Trauma care for nurses and paramedics, (3rd ed.), Elsevier, Sydney.

  • Conferences

    • Sinclair, C., Orr, F., Gill, K., Franks, S., River, J. & Goodhew, M. ‘A co-produced study: Exploring the experiences of Functional Neurological Disorder to strengthen service delivery’, paper presented at the TheMHS Conference, October 2022, Sydney Australia.
    • Gill, K., River, J., Sinclair, C., Goodhew, M., Franks, S. & Orr, F. ‘A Co-produced Study: Exploring experiences, skills, and knowledge of people living with FND in health and community settings’, paper presented at RANZCP Conference, May 2022, Sydney, Australia.
    • Levett-Jones, T., Pich, J., Govind, N., Dean, S. Jakimowicz, S. Orr, F., Kelly, A., Kelly, M. Maguire, J. & Sinclair, L. ‘A Virtual Empathy Museum: A unique approach for improving healthcare graduates’ empathy skills’, poster presented at the International Clinical Skills Conference, May 2019, Prato, Italy.
    • Wilkinson, S. & & Orr, F. Biophilic design: The New Black, paper presented at the Biophilic Design Conference, May 2018, Sydney
    • Orr, F. ‘A voice-hearing simulation to enhance empathy and self-efficacy to communicate’, paper presented at IMSH Conference, January 2018, Los Angeles, USA.
    • Orr, F. & Wilkinson, S.‘A little sanctuary’: An evaluation of the impact for participants of a rooftop horticultural therapy program in inner Sydney’, paper presented at the 27th Mental Health Services Conference, August 2017, Sydney, Australia.
    • Orr, F. ‘I now know how they feel’: A hearing voices simulation workshop to develop nursing students’ empathy for and confidence to talk with people who hear voices’, paper presented at the 26th Mental Health Services Conference, August 2016, Auckland, New Zealand.
    • Orr, F., Gill, K., Gallagher, I., Heffernan, T. & Stein-Parbury, J.  ‘Facilitating recovery-focused nursing practice through consumer participation in the development of innovative learning experiences for nursing students’, paper presented at the 25th Mental Health Services Conference (TheMHS), August 2015, Canberra.
    • Orr, F., Kelly, M. & Stein-Parbury, J. ‘Making it real: Bringing mental health simulations to life’, paper presented at 14th International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning Conference, June 2015, Atlanta, USA.
    • Kelly, M., Orr, F., Virdun, C., Power, T. & Gray, J. ’Using flipped learning with nursing students: A new multi-layered virtual simulated patient case’, paper presented at 14th International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning Conference, June 2015, Atlanta, USA.
    • Kelly, M., Gray, J., Orr, F., Virdun, C., Power, T. & Phillips, A. ‘Virtual simulation - development of a multi-dimensional case study centred on Indigenous Australians' health issues’, podium presentationatthe International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH), January 2014, San Francisco, USA.
    • Orr, F., Pearson, A. & Kellehear, K. ‘It was like opening Pandora’s Box’: Researching the use of a hearing voices simulation to develop nursing students’ confidence to talk with consumers who hear voices’, World Hearing Voices Congress, November 2013, Melbourne.
    • Orr, F., Kellehear, K. ‘I thought I was in their shoes’: The use of a voice-hearing simulation to develop nursing students’ understanding, empathy and confidence’, symposium presented at the 4th International NET/NEP Conference, June 2012, Baltimore, USA.
    • Orr, F., Kelly, M., Stein-Parbury, J., White, H. & McGarry, D. ‘It was real’: Use of actors in simulation to learn therapeutic communication, poster presented at the 4th International NET/NEP Conference, June 2012, Baltimore, USA.
    • Kelly, M., Orr, F., & Stein-Parbury, J. ‘Engaging the health care consumer as part of the team: Creating realistic live simulations with actors’, Workshop presentedat the Simulation in Health Conference, September 2012, Sydney.
    • Orr, F., Kellehear, K., Pearson, A. & Holmes, D. ‘The distress of hearing voices: Collaboration for mental health practice’, paper presented at the 20th Mental Health Services Conference (TheMHS), September 2010, Sydney.
    • Orr, F., ‘Preparing nurses for mental health practice: Weaving the threads of professional supervision into undergraduate education’, paper presented at the Common Threads Different Patterns Supervision Conference, Auckland University, April 2010, Auckland, New Zealand.
    • Orr, F. ‘Blaming the mother for schizophrenia’, paper presented at the 5th Australasian Schizophrenia Conference, September 1998, Hobart.
    • Delacour, S. & Orr, F. ‘Through the looking glass: Psychiatric-mental health nursing curricula for the nineties’, 1st National Nursing Forum Royal College of Nursing Australia, paper in published Conference Proceedings, June 1992, Adelaide.
    • Orr, F. ‘Psychoeducational family intervention programs: Implications for nursing curricula’, 17th Convention of Australian Congress of Mental Health Nurses, paper in published Conference Proceedings, 1991, Adelaide.
    • Orr, F. ‘Controlling nursing's destiny: Role expansion in psychiatric nursing’, paper presented at the 13th National conference, Royal College of Nursing, Australia, May 1991, Brisbane.

  • Awards

    • Australian Award University Teaching  Citation (2022)Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning: The Virtual empathy museum: developing healthcare students’ empathy skills.
    • VCs Learning and Teaching Citation (2021) UTS, for Developing healthcare students’ empathy skills.
    • Health Dean’s Academic Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (2019) UTS, for the Empathy Initiative.
    • Best Conference Poster (2019) International Clinical Skills Conference Prato, Italy, A Virtual Empathy Museum: A unique approach for improving healthcare graduates’ empathy skills.
    • Australian Award Universities Teaching Citation  (2015) for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning: Transforming mental health nursing education through innovative simulations and collaboration with mental health consumers.
    • Health Dean’s Academic award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (2015) UTS for mental health simulations.
    • UTS Teaching and Learning Award (2014), for Strengthening the UTS Model of Learning.