Objective To investigate critical care specialty nurses’ expectations and perceptions regarding the teaching services in clinical practice training bases，and analyze the gaps between them. Methods Using convenience sampling method，203 critical care specialty nurses from 27 provinces who completed the clinical practice training program organized by the Chinese Nursing Association and obtained certification of critical care specialty nurses between 2023 and 2024 were surveyed from July to September 2024. A demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire on expectations and perceptions of teaching services for ICU specialty nurses’ clinical practice were applied in data collection. Results Statistically significant differences（P<0.05） were observed in both expectation and perception scores across different genders，age groups，years of critical care experience，educational level，and professional title. The mean discrepancy between perception and expectation scores was -0.047，with statistically significant gaps identified in four specific service items（P<0.05）. Conclusion The current perception level of teaching services in clinical practice training bases falls below ICU critical care specialty nurses’ expectations. Quality improvement should focus on trainees’ individual characteristics，prioritizing implementation of services with highest expectations，optimizing services with lowest perceived performance，and making targeted improvements in services demonstrating significant perception-expectation gaps，thereby promoting high-quality development of clinical practice training.