Humanitarian Nursing: Voices from the Frontline with Elsa Afonso & Marcus Wootton

From conflict zones to refugee camps, from neonatal units to global health leadership—nurses are at the heart of humanitarian medicine.

In this episode, host Eoin Walker is joined by Elsa Afonso and Marcus Wootton from the Royal College of Nursing’s International Academy. Together they bring decades of frontline and strategic experience with organisations including MSF, UNICEF, and academic institutions worldwide.

We explore:

• What drives nurses into humanitarian work

• Lessons learned from conflict zones, HIV & AIDS programs, and neonatal care

• The power of education and capacity-building in fragile health systems

• Leadership, advocacy, and cultural adaptability in global health

• The future of nursing in humanitarian response

A powerful conversation about resilience, leadership, and the global role of nurses.

Important links:

• RCN International Academy
  

• Phoenix Nursing Myanmar
  

• RCN Report: Care Amongst the Chaos – The Voices of Nurses Working in Conflict (PDF)