Former RBWH ED nurse Emily Ragas

Former RBWH ED nurse Emily Ragus, who worked at the hospital from 2006 to 2020, has since gone on to use the skills and expertise she learnt here in humanitarian work across the globe.

“Starting off as a new graduate nurse in ICU at the RBWH, I would never have imagined that my career would be so varied,” said Emily.

“From working as a remote area nurse, to a helicopter trauma retrievalist, to becoming the Queensland coordinator of the Australian Medical Assistance Team- AUSMAT.

“These roles were foundational for awarding me the Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2018, which led me to become a tutor for Fordham University in Geneva and through this role I went on to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

Emily is currently working in South East Asia using her nursing skills to teach basic health care for locals, from setting up prehospital health care systems using canoes instead of ambulances to teaching jellyfish first aid through short videos.

“I even had the opportunity to deliver a baby on the side of the road, who is now my namesake,” she said.

“It’s a really creative position which allows me to cultivate skills that I would not normally use as a nurse working within a hospital in Australia.

“My time at RBWH working in the busy emergency department not only trained me to be a sound clinician, but the mentorship I received gave me a foundation of support that I still rely on today.”

“I love being able to use those skills to improve healthcare inequalities.”

Emily’s next stop in her work with the Red Cross is Jordan in the Middle East.