Cabin crew aero medicine and first aid training in China

Abstract

AbstractAero medicine and first aid training is essential in preparing qualified cabin crew for in-flight medical emergencies. Nonetheless, it has always been regarded as a challenging aspect of cabin crew training. Cabin crew have been facing a more complex situation when conducting their duties onboard due to COVID-19. This study aims to explore the current status of aero medicine and first aid training in China. Using the snowballing technique, 17 participants were recruited for the in-depth semi-structured interview, including cabin crew from 9 airlines in China, first aid instructors from airline training centers, and lecturers from universities. Based on thematic analysis, four themes were extracted: required competencies, factors affecting first aid behaviors, course content and instructional strategies. Findings indicated that most airlines in China emphasized training their cabin crew in aero medicine and first aid. However, some conducted recurrent training once every two years, which was insufficient for skills and knowledge retention. Automated External Defibrillators (AED) were rarely equipped onboard. MedAire was not available for all airlines in China. The results pointed out the shortfalls on aero medicine and first aid aspect in China and can help improve the in-flight first aid facilities and optimize the training programs.

Keywords

• first aid training
• cabin crew
• blended-learning
• behavior changing
• instructional strategies