Nurse honoured for working in dangerous places

Rebecca described working in dangerous places as "an incredible honour"

A nurse who had visited conflict and disease outbreak zones around the world said she was "thrilled to bits" after being awarded a fellowship by her former university.

Rebecca Platt, who has previously received a British Empire Medal (BEM), collected her prize during the University of Hertfordshire's graduation ceremony at St Albans Abbey.

She said: "I'm greatly honoured to receive this phenomenal award. As a nurse, I feel privileged to be there in the moments that change people's lives.

"Being awarded this fellowship is the pinnacle of a hugely rewarding career."

Ms Platt has treated children in locations such as Ukraine and Gaza

She started her career as a children's nurse in 1996, completing the BSc Hons Nursing programme at Oxford Brookes University.

The paediatric nurse later finished a master's in contemporary nursing at the University of Hertfordshire.

During her career, she has been deployed to disease outbreaks in places such as Bangladesh and Samoa. She has also worked in conflict zones in Ukraine and most recently Gaza.

She said: "It's pretty full on, as you would imagine, but it feels like an incredible honour in a way because I think a lot of us sit at home worrying about these kinds of emergencies and feel we can't do much.

"I'm lucky to have the skill set to make a difference."

Rebecca Platt collected her award during the University of Hertfordshire's graduation ceremony at St Albans Abbey

Professor Quintin McKellar, vice chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, praised her courage and selflessness.

He added: "She is a fantastic role model, embodies all our values here at Herts and couldn't be more deserving of a Fellowship award. Thank you, Becky for everything you continue to do for the world."