How Midlands Air Ambulance builds confidence through realistic training

Emily Browne leads education and training at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, helping to prepare clinicians for some of the most complex and unpredictable situations in pre-hospital care. With a background in nursing and experience in the military reserves, she’s used to operating in high-pressure environments and now focuses on ensuring others are ready to do the same.

Emily retrained as a nurse in her mid-twenties after starting her career in sales and media. “I always wanted to be a nurse,” she says. “When I began my training, the Iraq war was taking place, and I wanted to do something meaningful.” We spoke at The Emergency Services Show for our #SheServesToo initiative, and that’s where I first had the chance to hear about her journey. She joined the reserve forces alongside her studies, and that’s where her interest in pre-hospital care really began.

After years in emergency departments, Emily moved into education – first at a university, then to her current role at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC), where she oversees clinical training and professional development for the charity’s critical care teams.

Keeping skills sharp

MAAC recently marked its 80,000th mission, a milestone that reflects not only the scale of its operations but also the consistency of its crews. For Emily, that consistency starts with structured, accessible training.

“Our clinicians need regular access to good-quality equipment, clear programmes and time to practice,” she explains. “If you get the fundamentals right and rehearse them often, everything else follows.”

Simulation plays a major role in that process. “It’s one of the most valuable tools we have,” she says. “But it has to be done with purpose. It’s not about catching people out; it’s about understanding how they perform under pressure and how they work together as a team.”

Preparing for what’s next

Pre-hospital care evolves quickly, with new procedures and technology changing how clinicians operate. Emily’s team keeps a close eye on developments in hospital and military medicine, as well as lessons from other air ambulance charities.

“We don’t want to be on the back foot,” she says. “It’s about anticipating what’s coming and preparing our teams for it. There are 21 air ambulance charities across the UK, and while we all fundraise separately, we’re doing the same job. We share what works and learn from each other.”

That collaborative mindset extends to hospitals and universities too, helping connect research, education and frontline care.

Learning through realism

Emily’s own research explores how immersive learning environments affect clinical confidence and competence.

“Pre-hospital work doesn’t happen in tidy classrooms,” she says. “By training in realistic settings, fields, homes, roadside environments, clinicians build confidence and resilience before they ever reach a patient.”

The same thinking underpins MAAC’s community training. Through the charity’s Lifesaver courses, members of the public can learn CPR and defibrillation at a reduced cost. “If we can train more people to act before emergency crews arrive, that can change outcomes,” Emily says.

Building the next generation

Looking ahead, Emily wants to make clinical education more accessible for those starting out in pre-hospital medicine. “It’s a small, specialist field,” she says. “We need to think about where the next generation will come from and how we can support them early on. That means creating affordable, realistic training for people who aspire to join services like ours.”

Her advice to new clinicians is practical. “Keep learning, find a mentor, and stay open to opportunities. Not everything will go to plan, but experience builds over time.”

Emily’s route into emergency services hasn’t followed a straight line, but her work now helps shape how others prepare for theirs. Through her leadership in education and training, she’s ensuring that the people behind every Midlands Air Ambulance mission are ready for whatever comes next.

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This article is part of #SheServesToo, our campaign celebrating the stories of women across the emergency services. If you have a story to share, get in touch with the EST team here.