過去數年，直昇機醫療救護為台灣離島地區民眾挽救不少可貴生命，護理人員在此過程，扮演不可或缺之角色。然而，在特殊照護環境與緊急照護狀況中，護理人員所面臨之挑戰與所必須具備之能力，也較護理的其他專業特殊。本文就直昇機醫療救護在民間之發展，以及在此特殊照護情境中，護理人員所必須具備之能力與個人特質就飛行前的準備、轉送的評估與照護、決策能力、身體素質、訓練與經驗等五大層面加以探討，以提供護理專業或教育團體之參考，藉之發展相關專業教育或訓練課程，培植或增強民間直昇機救護護理人員所需具備之能力，增進更多的護理人員在此特殊領域之專業角色實踐。

Nurses play a critical role in Taiwan's helicopter emergency medical service, an essential healthcare response service for residents of outlying islands. The care skillsets required of nurses in special care and urgent care environments are significantly more specialized than those in other professional care environments. This article discusses the development of the civil helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) and elements essential to HEMS nursing care efficacy. These elements can be grouped under the categories of pre-flight preparation, assessment for flight-readiness and in-flight care, decision-making abilities, personal physical characteristics, training and experience. These categories should be referenced to improve the effectiveness of relevant education / training programs, enhance HEMS nurse readiness and effectiveness, and maximize the role of HEMS nurses in the civil helicopter medical service.