New Zealand Red Cross aid worker Joyce Hood will received the highest honour in the nursing profession on 18 March.

The Florence Nightingale medal is awarded to people who distinguish themselves in times of peace or war by showing exceptional courage and devotion to the wounded, sick or disabled or to civilian victims of conflict or disaster.

Ms Hood returned from Iraq to New Zealand to attend an award ceremony hosted by Their Excellencies The Governor-General of New Zealand The Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand and Lady Susan Satyanand in association with New Zealand Red Cross.

The ceremony commemorated the 12 years of duty and service to others Ms Hood has given on 11 missions, during 80 months in highly volatile areas such as Afghanistan, Timor-Leste and Iraq.

Speaking from Najaf, Iraq, Ms Hood said, "I am humbled to be awarded the Florence Nightingale medal. I love my the work that I do with New Zealand Red Cross and I get just as much back from it as I give."

Ms Hood is the project manager for the medical training programme in Najaf, where she runs courses for doctors and nurses to update their emergency care skills as well as giving bedside teaching.

Ms Hood has previously received the New Zealand Operational Service Medal and the New Zealand General Service Medal for her work in Afghanistan.

This year, New Zealand Red Cross celebrates 50 years of its international humanitarian aid worker programme, which sees up to 30 Kiwi aid workers overseas at any one time.

Interviews with Ms Hood can be arranged from 15 March to 24 March after which she will again be overseas. High resolution pictures of Ms Hood are available.

Joyce Hood's mission history with New Zealand Red Cross

• 2010 Iraq, Najaf
• 2009 South Ossetia, Tskhinvali
• 2008 South Ossetia, Tskhinvali
• 2007 Sudan, Khartoum
• 2006 Afghanistan, Kandahar
• 2004 Afghanistan, Jalalabad
• 2003 Afghanistan, Kandahar
• 2002 Kenya, Lokichokia
• 2001 Sudan, Juba
• 2000 Timor-Leste, Dili
• 1999 Afghanistan, Kandahar

To read more about New Zealand Red Cross aid workers overseas, click here.

For more information on becoming an aid worker, click here.

To read more about aid workers who have recently been awarded medals, click here.