Nurse’s Experiences in Management for Aeromedical Interfacility Transfer of Emergency Patients in Southern Thailand

Abstract

Aeromedical interfacility transfer involves several stakeholders and requires integrative performance. This qualitative research aimed to explore nurse’s experiences in management for aeromedical interfacility transfer of emergency patients in southern area. The informants were 25 nurses working in southern part who had at least one experience in managing an aeromedical interfacility transfer for emergency patients. Data collection used in-depth interviews following the question guideline created by researchers, from February to March 2025. Data analysis used a Colaizzi’s content analysis method. The findings revealed that the  management experiences of nurses for aeromedical interfacility transfer of emergency patients in Southern Thailand comprised four main issues with 11 sub-issues. The first main issue was resource management including (i) personnel management, (ii) management of equipment, medication, and medical supplies and (iii) management of aircraft and helipad. The second main issue was time management including (i) teamwork for pre-transfer preparation, (ii) quick-clear-realtime coordination, and (iii) seamless patient  transporting. The third main issue was on-board safety management including (i) patient safety management, (ii) patient-relative safety management, and (iii) personnel safety management. In addition, the fourth main issue was data management including (i) management of patient-related data, and (ii) management of flight-related data. The study findings can be the primary evidence for nursing administrators to promote better integrative services, workforce management, and competency development related to aeromedical interfacility transfer of emergency patients in southern Thailand.