Julie Orr

health improvement, physical activity, experiential learning, brief interventions, long term conditions management

As a registered specialist practitioner in general practice nursing my background includes long term conditions management and health empowerment. I am passionate about the health benefits of physical activity promotion and my Masters dissertation examined “An exploration of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses’ experience of promoting physical activity in clinical practice to help inform future practice” with a constructivist grounded theory research approach.

I work/have worked in partnership with external colleagues at Scottish Government, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, NHS Health Improvement (Allied health professionals), NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Physical Activity Health Alliance and health and Well being NHS D&G to drive physical activity awareness forward.

I have been an external reviewer for undergraduate physical activity resouces for Nottingham University.

I am currently the principal investigator researching how to develop and evaluate a programme of fitness interventions with pre-registration nursing students. Other’s in the team are Sue McGrouther and Marie McCaig along with an external partner Chris Topping. As part of this action research, physical activity community engagement, has been embedded within the year 3 pre-registration nursing programme.

I am particularly interested in experiential learning in relation to physical activity as I am passionate about promoting physical activity awareness within health and social care. Reducing the burden of risk factors for mortality and morbity Globally and supporting individuals to self-manage long term conditions is where I see my future.