I will explain Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory for this discussion post. Nurses may use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to determine patient care strategies and objectives when providing direct patient care. This theory involves a 5-level pyramid that uses physiologic needs as the base, or foundation, of the pyramid. The following levels include protection, a sense of belonging/affection, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Therefore, Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory (Concept A) advances through physiological needs, protection, a sense of belonging/affection, self-esteem, and self-actualization (Concept B). This pyramid is useful when a nurse needs to prioritize patient care. Since the theory is represented via hierarchical tiers, a patient must master the lowest level before advancing to a higher level within the pyramid. In this case, psychological requirements, such as food, water, oxygen, and shelter, must be met before the patient exceeds specific protection needs, such as security and s
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Hello,
This is a great description of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory in nursing and health care in general. From a personal perspective, the theory is basically the essential theoretical framework that can be used to understand human motivation and behaviour. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory classifies needs into various levels and categories to help understand what hails a person. As you have noted, the theory is useful when a nurse seeks to determine the areas of a patient’s wellness that need to be prioritized. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory can help identify health problems based on unmet physiological and psychological needs and help maximize patient care and health outcomes (Li, 2020). Therefore, by reviewing the patient’s symptoms based on Maslow’s theory, nurses can understand what the patient actually needs and lacks that can contribute to their ill health, especially in mental health settings.
Besides the application of Maslow’s theory in understanding the patient’s needs and helping nurses provide the best care for their patients, the theory can also help understand the needs of the nurses and how to best attend to their own needs first. As Maslow’s theory of Hierarchy of needs explains how humans get motivated to act or achieve higher levels of themselves, nurses who have fully satisfied their basic needs, such as safety and security, will be more motivated to do the best in delivering care to fulfil their career goals best and achieve self-actualization (Hayre-Kwan et al., 2021). Therefore, the application of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory in nursing can help improve the experiences of patients and provide approaches to motivate nurses to improve their performance and experiences in patient care.
References
Hayre-Kwan, S., Quinn, B., Chu, T., Orr, P., & Snoke, J. (2021). Nursing and Maslow’s Hierarchy: A Health Care Pyramid Approach to Safety and Security During a Global Pandemic. Nurse Leader, 19(6), 590–595. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MNL.2021.08.013
Li, M. (2020). Effect of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory on Psychotherapy of Patients with Depression. Investigacion Clinica, 61(1), 96–103.