A Queensland nurse has been awarded nursing’s highest international honour for her work with the Red Cross abroad.

Noela Davies is one of 39 nurses from 19 countries awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal this year.

The International Committee of the Red Cross biennial award recognises exceptional courage and devotion to victims of armed conflict or natural disaster.

Ms Davies, a registered nurse and midwife, has worked for the Red Cross in conflict zones around the world, including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia and North Darfur in Sudan.

Now based in Mt Isa as the service development manager of primary health care for the Royal Flying Doctors, Ms Davies said the award was recognition of all nurses working abroad.

"I am obviously appreciative and quite humbled by it…I think it’s something noble to reflect the good work that nurses do overseas."

Ms Davies said she had experienced countless memorable moments in her 11 years of aid work, including helping a woman deliver her baby in the back of a World War Two DC-3 aircraft while on mission in Sudan.

"That was back in 2007, I was new to the job and I think that was the first day of flying on the plane," she said.

"We loaded this lady onto the plane…and just before we closed up she was pushing. The two pilots and myself delivered this baby."

Ms Davies encouraged other nurses to venture into aid work overseas or in rural and remote parts of Australia.

"Every mission is different and every country is different. No two jobs and countries are ever the same," she said.

"It’s my passion. It’s a job that I love and it’s part of me."

Australian Red Cross head of international programs Donna McSkimming said medal recipients epitomise all the principles for which the Red Cross stands, including humanity, impartiality and neutrality.

"Noela is a credit to Australian nursing; an ordinary Australian who has made an extraordinary contribution," she said.