Which should the nurse do to meet a clients basic physiological needs according to Maslows hierarchy of needs?

This article will be based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how it applies to nursing. We are going to talk about the 5 levels that relate to nurse communication and why they are so important.

Which should the nurse do to meet a clients basic physiological needs according to Maslows hierarchy of needs?

Not familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a 5 tier model for human needs. Starting at the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are:

  • Physiological
  • Safety
  • Love and Belongingness
  • Self-esteem
  • Self- actualization

Individuals must attend towards a lower level of demands before they can even attend to a higher level requirements.

Why is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs important to nursing? Each and every nurse’s techniques include Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for determining patient care priorities. When this method is used in nursing, it produces positive results. This shows that if their work environment needs are not being  improved, it could be possible that nurses will be less motivated and less likely to rise to a higher level responsibilities.


This is the School Nurse (Band 6) we currently have in London, Seven kings

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to Nursing Communication

In a healthcare environment situation, nurses will face a variety of intense demands and continuous interruptions. Chaos generates tiredness, and the two together can put off a nurse’s ability for compassion and joy at work. It maybe exhausting to have a hectic day with several urgent calls but unable to have access to their patients important information can be even more frustrating. Patience and well-being can be harmed by frustration.

In terms of a hierarchy, nurses’ strength and techniques of acceptance in healthcare are similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

How does Maslow’s hierarchy relate to communication? According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people communicate in order to meet a variety of physical and social demands. Physical survival needs, safety and protection needs, belonging needs, self-esteem needs and self-actualization needs are all included.

At the top of the pyramid is what nurses can self-actualize, where nurses can feel a sense of control and support within them selves. When they solve the first three areas of needs in the hierarchy, nurses have a greater chance of solving for higher levels like self-actualization. Starting from the bottom, here’s how the hierarchy looks, as well as how it links to the communication tools that nurses are given.

Which should the nurse do to meet a clients basic physiological needs according to Maslows hierarchy of needs?

Physiological needs

Nurses require a safe working environment. At the beginning, nurses would be required to take breaks to eat, use the bathroom, and catch their breath. Also, they want communication solutions that allow them to collaborate and interact more effectively.

Healthcare practices can be easily managed by utilising appropriate communication solutions. Nurses who are supplied with techniques that improve patient care will end up saving time. Otherwise, time would be wasted speaking with people, finding resources, receiving important test results and other responsibilities.

Nurses will be able to recover time for basic human needs such as rest and meals if physiological problems are addressed in the healthcare setting. As a result, they’ll be able to give more time to patient care.

Safety needs

We all have a break desire to feel secure. Nothing else will work unless this need is addressed.

Once a nurse’s physiological needs are satisfied, the need for security and safety become silent. However, everyone wants to experience order and control in their lives. These needs can be fulfilled by family and society such as medical care, police, schools and business.

Other examples of Safety needs are:

  • Emotional security
  • Financial security (employment social welfare)
  • Law and order
  • Freedom from fear
  • Social stability
  • Health and wellbeing (safety against accidents and injury)
Love and Belongingness needs

Nurses should also feel empowered at work, knowing that their opinions and feelings are valued. They are the element of successful patient care. Nurses’ viewpoints and professional advice on processes, policies and goals should be looked out by healthcare staff.

This level of nurses’ needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness. Belongingness refers to a nurse’s emotional need for social relationships, affiliating, connectedness and being part of a group in a healthcare environment.

Examples of belongingness needs includes:

  • Trust
  • Friendships
  • Acceptance
  • Receiving and giving affection

This is the Surgical Ward Nurse (Band 5/6) we currently have in Wales, South Wales.

Self-esteem needs

Nurses are going to college with the idea that they will spend their life caring for patients. When patients are satisfied and the outcomes are excellent, nurses feel like their mission is accomplished.

Self-esteem needs in Maslow’s hierarchy include self-worth, accomplishment and respect. Maslow put self-esteem needs into two categories:

  • Self-esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement and independence)
  • The desire for reputation or respect from others (status and prestige)
Self-actualization needs

Self-actualization needs are the highest level in Maslow’s hierarchy. This is referred to the realization of a nurse’s potential, self-fulfilment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be.

A nurse who wants to return to university that can achieve a higher degree, for example, may want to work only during the week. On the other hand, a nurse who needs to spend more time with her family may prefer to work only during the week. Nurses feel more supported and endurance that strengthens when hospitals provide a work environment that patients can trust and allows them to participate in problem solving decisions.

As you see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has an important role to play in nursing life. Without having nurses’ needs met, it could be very difficult to achieve positive outcomes for both healthcare staff and the patients. It is crucial that our beloved nurses feel good at their workplace. Being heard, appreciated and respected could be worth more the pay check at the end of the day. Sometimes the small things make a big difference. Happy nurse – happy patients.

Which should the nurse do to meet a clients basic physiological needs according to Maslows hierarchy of needs?


If yes, you can go visit our website and you can go to the CV-Library to find more job opportunities for locum doctors.

How do nurses use Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

When using the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory, the nurse should always view the physiological needs as the priority concern to address first followed by safety and security needs next, etc., with self-actualization as the lowest priority to address.

What is physiological needs in the Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

At the base of Maslow's hierarchy of human needs we find the physiological level, which encompasses the basic, yet self-preserving needs, such as sleep, water, and shelter. The ability to work our way further up the hierarchy, to satisfy our more complex needs, is based on fulfilling the physiological needs.

When using Maslow's hierarchy of needs to care for a client which of the following would a nurse assign the highest priority?

Maslow identifies five levels of human needs: physiological, safety or security, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Because physiological needs are necessary for survival, they have the highest priority and must be met first.

Which of the following needs under Maslow's of hierarchy needs takes the highest priority when caring for a patient?

Self-actualization needs are the highest level in Maslow's hierarchy. This is referred to the realization of a nurse's potential, self-fulfilment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be.