DAWN Mcdonald is a nurse, but it’s a role she practices in very different ways. As an RAF reserve nurse, she could be called to help injured soldiers in Afghanistan at any time.

As Sister Mcdonald, Dawn has a civilian role as ward sister on a surgical ward at the Wellesley Hospital, Southend, a far cry from her work evacuating injured soldiers from the conflict.

Dawn, who lives in Southend, is a nurse in the 4626 Squadron, the only aeromedical evacuation squadron in the RAF reserves.

Having already completed a four- month tour of Afghanistan two years ago, Dawn knows first hand what the job entails – to help get wounded soldiers out of the war zone and to hospital in the UK.

“I can honestly say my first tour of Afghanistan was the most rewarding thing I have done in my whole life,” says Dawn.

“I still have the images from my time there as my screen saver on my computer and I am counting the days until I go back.”

Dawn never planned to go into the RAF, but after qualifying as a nurse six years ago, her life took an unexpected turn.

“I knew I wanted to get into aeromedical evacuation,” says Dawn.

“However, it wasn’t until I went along to a job fair that I went to see an RAF stall. It was there I became interested in joining the RAF and decided to sign up.”

Dawn received full training in how to be a RAF nurse and give the same medical help to patients in a plane as she would to those in a hospital.

Despite her training, it was still a culture shock when Dawn did eventually fly out to Afghanistan.

“I went out in the summer,” she says. “At some points it was 50 degrees outside and we had to wear 14 kilos in body armour and a helmet. It was harder to acclimatise than I had imagined.”

However, Dawn soon got into the swing of things and found her training and instinct as a nurse took over.

“First and foremost I am a nurse and I know exactly what I am there to do,” says Dawn, 49.

“It is a different environment to working in a hospital, but the actual work is the same.”

Dawn soon found she took on a nurturing role within the squadron.

“I was 47 when I started so I straight away took on the mother role,” says Dawn, who is married and has four children.

“I felt I was there to comfort the injured soldiers and look after them. I have a son who is 17 and so my instincts would sometimes make me think how would I feel if it was him.”

Dawn was amazed by the bravery of the men and women she helped.

“Most of them, while lying injured in the plane, just wanted to get better so they could go back and fight with the other soldiers.

“Mostly the morale was high and even those who were amputees were focused on re-learning to walk.”

Dawn admits that there were some who needed more support after their experiences.

“Obviously, there were some who were traumatised and my job then was to comfort them,” says Dawn.

She was also in danger and faced her own stresses on tour.

“It was upsetting bringing badly wounded soldiers back to their families.”

The medical team would only fly out at night and Dawn would find herself having to get through incredibly long shifts.

“The longest shift I have done was 36 hours,” says Dawn. “It also makes you realise how fragile life is and that you should enjoy every day, because you don't know what is around the corner.”

Dawn has signed up for another five years on the reserve list.

“I want to go back before I am too old,” she says. “I would love to go out for a second tour and have another chance to experience working with such incredible people who do an amazing job.”