[Applause] what is maslow's hierarchy of needs maslow's hierarchy of needs was developed in 1943 by psychologist abraham maslow to describe how individuals needs change throughout life as they work toward meeting their full potential it illustrates the journey an individual takes to get to self-actualization according to maslow the lower level needs in the hierarchy must be fulfilled and maintained before the higher level needs can be met maslow's hierarchy of needs is also a way for nurses to prioritize how to best care for clients maslow believes individuals work through five pyramid levels each describing a different level of human needs the five levels of the pyramid from lowest to highest include physiological needs safety and security love and belonging self-esteem self-actualization let us discuss each level individually the base level of maslow's hierarchy of needs is physiological and includes basic human needs required to stay alive several needs are at this level including oxygen water food sleep shelter clothing and reproduction this stage takes priority over other needs oxygen is the most fundamental need and is essential for all cells in the human body to survive food and water proper fluid balance and adequate caloric intake are needed to maintain life rest and shelter temperature is regulated to maintain homeostasis in the body the first tier of maslow's hierarchy of needs the physiological needs is strongly tied to another nursing principle the a b she's airway breathing circulation an example of a nurse fulfilling a physiological need is providing oxygen and respiratory treatments to a client with difficulty breathing to restore a regular breathing pattern once a person's physiological needs are met the next level in the hierarchy refers to an individual's overall sense of safety and security safety and security can come in various forms including mental and physical safety individuals can meet their needs at this stage with emotional security proper mental health and financial stability an example of a nurse fulfilling safety and security is a nurse conducting a home visit with an older adult couple the nurse assesses that the lighting in the home is poor and there are throw rugs throughout the house and a low footstool in the living room she discusses removing the rugs and footstool and improving the lighting with the couple in addition this nurse is addressing safety and security because falls are a priority safety issue for older adults the third need following physiological and safety and security is love and belonging love and belonging include giving and receiving affection attaining a place in a group maintaining the feeling of belonging an example of nurses fulfilling love and belonging is building rapport and laying the foundation for a professional relationship of trust and care with your clients the fourth level of needs encompasses esteem for oneself dignity achievement mastery freedom and the need to be accepted and valued by others eg social status prestige esteemed needs constitute one of the critical stages in achieving contentment or self-actualization as a nurse celebrating our clients achievements helps with self-esteem an example of a nurse fulfilling self-esteem needs is celebrating a client that finally accomplishes the ability to do their own finger stick after attempting to do so after 10 attempts the highest level of maslow's pyramid is self-actualization after the need for self-esteem is satisfied the individual strives for self-actualization the innate need to develop one's maximum potential and realize one's abilities and qualities maslow states that the journey to self-actualization is when individuals look at life objectively change through personal growth help others and seek fulfillment at this level individuals want to feel a sense of accomplishment and be recognized for it an example of a nurse helping a client with self-actualization is during discharge teaching a nurse then reminds the client of how far they have progressed in their health journey for example the nurse might remind the client that they are leaving the hospital in a healthier state than when they entered according to nursing prioritization the needs at the pyramids base are higher priority than the needs at the top of the pyramid self-actualization is a higher level need on maslow's pyramid hence a lower priority in contrast physiological needs get the highest priority maslow's hierarchy of needs provides a framework for nursing prioritization often there will be many potential nursing actions needed but remember physiological needs always come first thank you and we will see you in the next video in our fundamentals of nursing study series you