M
eet Wella Fuego Badilles, YNA Clinical Nurse who shares her story about how she entered the nursing profession and her journeys along the way, to her current role at YNA..
Wella Fuego Badilles – YNA, Clinical Nurse
I began my nursing career after completing my Bachelor’s degree at Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines. Soon after graduating, I was fortunate to receive a sponsorship from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee, USA, which enabled me to specialise in Paediatric Haematology and Oncology in Singapore through the National University Hospital and the Singapore Nursing Board.
Following this advanced training, I returned to the Philippines, where I was entrusted with leading the establishment of the first Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases Unit at Southern Philippines Medical Centre. I served as Nursing Unit Head for four years, guiding the team in delivering specialised, high‑quality paediatric care to children and their families.
Seeking to further expand my professional experience, I moved to Australia. I initially worked in Oncology at Sydney Adventist Hospital before relocating to Adelaide, where I joined the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. For more than a decade, I worked across several paediatric specialties, primarily Oncology and Paediatric Intensive Care and also contributed as a Basic Life Support (BLS) trainer for staff. During this time, I received sponsorship from the Women’s and Children’s Health Network to further specialise in High Acuity Nursing (Intensive Care) through the University of South Australia.
After leaving the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, I briefly joined the Oncology team at Ashford Hospital. In 2018, I expanded my clinical experience further by joining YNA Torrens Health, where I worked across several major hospitals in South Australia, including the RAH, The QEH, Calvary Hospital, Memorial Hospital and St Andrew’s Hospital. This role provided extensive exposure to specialty wards and intensive care environments.
In 2023, I undertook further international training in the United States and Germany, qualifying as a Surgical Assistant specialising in Follicular Surgery through the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).
In 2025, I joined the clinical team at YNA Torrens Health, where I am currently enjoying my role as a Clinical Nurse and continuing to build on a truly global and diverse nursing career.
How has flexibility in where or how you work shaped your professional journey as a nurse?
Working across a wide range of clinical environments has played a pivotal role in shaping my professional journey as a nurse. My career has taken me through multiple hospitals in both the public and private sectors, across Australia, and internationally. This geographic and organisational flexibility has allowed me to grow both professionally and personally.
Along the way, I have had the opportunity to work across a diverse range of specialties, including paediatrics, adult care, oncology, haematology, intensive care, hair transplant surgery, and nursing management. Each setting has expanded my skill set, strengthened my clinical judgement, and enhanced my ability to deliver high‑quality, patient‑centred care in a variety of contexts.
Collectively, these experiences have shaped my professional portfolio as a Specialist Nurse. The breadth of exposure has equipped me with strong clinical adaptability, versatility, and a solid foundation in specialised practice, allowing me to confidently navigate change while delivering safe, effective care wherever I work.
How has nursing empowered you to expand your career into related fields where your expertise can save lives on a broader scale?
Nursing is inherently multifaceted and complex, demanding a thoughtful balance of clinical expertise, adaptability and genuine empathy. It has given me a strong foundation in critical thinking and specialised practice, enabling me to extend my impact well beyond direct bedside care.
Through experience in paediatric oncology, intensive care and acute clinical settings, I have developed the skills needed to manage high‑risk patients and contribute to improved clinical outcomes. This depth of experience has also enabled me to step into broader leadership and system level roles, including establishing a specialised paediatric unit and training healthcare staff in essential life‑saving skills.
More recently, nursing has empowered me to expand into advanced procedural care as a Surgical Assistant, where precision, patient safety and person‑centred principles remain at the forefront and applied in a different but equally critical clinical context.
Overall, nursing has allowed me to contribute across multiple areas of healthcare. Whether supporting individual patients, strengthening workforce capability or influencing safer clinical practices, my nursing foundation has enabled me to help save lives and make a meaningful impact on a broader scale.
