Von spent years caring for her sick mother and ‘missed the boat' in studying to become a nurse so settled for becoming an Enrolled Nurse instead. She has worked in every department and ward in several hospitals across Sydney.

Von went to Vietnam for action and adventure, and was exposed to the horrors of war - humans at their worst and at their most vulnerable. There was also a man. Theirs was a deep and passionate relationship which turned into a nightmare when he was bought in on a stretcher, blown apart. She still sees him in her dreams; not as the handsome lover but as the blackened mass of flesh with pleading eyes.

Von has no time for whingers and she doesn't suffer fools gladly. In her blunt way she calls a spade a bloody shovel. The rest of the ED staff assess her mood before approaching because she can make life hell or heaven.

Von is a fantastic nurse - one of the best. Director of Emergency Medicine, Frank Campion, always puts junior staff with her because they will learn - even if it's a painful process. Her latest endeavour in the nursing field is as a Transitional Care Officer, helping ED patients to adjust to life after their experiences in trauma. The only patients Von shows overt softness for are the old diggers. But she has pain deep in her heart. Her only close living relative, her niece Kerry, was murdered on her wedding day to the shock and horror of the All Saints staff. Only time will tell if Von is able to put the tragic event behind her.

Yvonne Ryan is played by Judith McGrath