傷患撤離是災難醫療管理重要的一部分，救護飛行器可提供路途遙遠或偏遠地區救護時，快速且合宜地將病人轉送救治。空中傷患後送（aero-medical evacuation, AE）主要分為由定翼機，與使用旋翼機的直昇機緊急醫療救護（helicopter emergency medical services, HEMS）兩種方式，因目的的不同而有所差異。航空護理師獨特的角色與功能在我國從八二三炮戰後迄今，約有五十多年的空中傷患後送作業的實務經驗，包含考量人與機具在高海拔的環境中，傷患與工作人員自身在生理、心理、社會與靈性部分所受的影響與提供緊急照護等相關整體性訓練。航空護理是一項特殊領域專業角色，應用在一般與特有的傷患後送作業制度、儀器設施、檢傷與空中照護專業知能，提供載重與並依分類系統運送病人等。在現有國際醫療發展趨勢中，航空護理在空中傷患後送的角色與功能可提供災難發生時的緊急醫療，目前航空護理專業人員訓練與養成皆是以軍方訓練為基礎，未來可朝與國際間緊急救護領域的聯盟合作方向發展。

Evacuating the injured is an important part of disaster medicine. Aircraft provide timely access to distant and remote areas and, in an emergency, can evacuate sick or injured individuals in such areas quickly and safely for critical treatment elsewhere. Aeromedical evacuation (AE) comprises the two categories of fixed-wing ambulance service and helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS). Each aims to accomplish unique objectives. In Taiwan, the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958 established the unique role and functions of medical flight nursing. Significant knowledge and experience has been accumulated in the field since that time in such areas as the effects of high altitude environments on individuals and equipment; physiological, psychological, social and spiritual factors that affect the injured and / or response team members; and emergency care delivery techniques. All have been essential elements in the development and delivery of comprehensive medical flight nurse training. Medical flight nursing belongs in a special professional category, as nurses must master knowledge on general and special-case casualty evacuation procedures, relevant instruments and equipment, triage, in-flight medical care, and aircraft loading requirements related to transporting the sick and injured. The internationalization of medical care has opened the potential to expand medical flight nursing roles and functions into disaster nursing. Although military considerations continue to frame medical flight nursing training and preparation today, the authors feel that creating strategic alliances with disaster nursing specialists and organizations overseas is a future developmental direction for Taiwan's medical flight nursing sector worth formal consideration.