Background: With the increasing frequency of global disasters and the growing demand for medical resources in remote areas, aeromedical services have received heightened attention in recent years. However, limited emphasis has focused on training and education related to the handoff process from the helipad to the emergency department, which may compromise patient safety and affect nurses’ performance during critical transitions of care. A clear understand-ing of emergency nurses’ educational needs and training priorities is therefore essential.
Purpose: The study aimed to assess the educational needs and priorities of emergency nurses regarding competencies required during air-to-ground patient handoff from the helipad to the emergency department.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed using a self-developed Education and Training Needs Assessment Questionnaire for Air-to-Ground Patient Handoff Among Emergency Nurses. A total of 63 emergency nurses participated. Educational needs were analyzed using Importance–Performance Analysis and the Borich Needs Assessment Model.
Results: Significant gaps were identified between perceived importance and self-rated performance across three do-mains of air-to-ground patient handoff: pre-transfer preparation, process monitoring, and role responsibilities (all p < .001).According to Borich’s analysis, role-specific responsibilities during air-to-ground patient handoff were ranked as the highest educational priority.
Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Emergency nurses demonstrated substantial learning needs in high-risk task domains, including helicopter safety, patient transfer techniques, and team roles and responsibilities. Future training programs should prioritize these core competencies to enhance patient safety, improve transfer efficiency, and strengthen interprofessional teamwork during aeromedical patient handoff.