BASIC HUMAN NEEDS

A basic human need is the quest/want of something or the

requirement for biological, social, spiritual, and
psychological functioning experienced by the person
without which he cannot survive.
Each of us has three primary needs, meaning three needs that
are more important than the other six needs, which we have to a
lesser degree. Fulfilling one’s basic needs is an inside job, not
something that is fulfilled by another person. People who share
the same needs Student-teacher explains about basic human
needs using a black board. What do you understand by the term
basic human need? will feel a connection or common bond.
Two people who do share at least one common need will feel
little connection with another person
• Security - Security is the need to feel safe, to feel assured
that they know what is going to happen, to know ahead of
time what the plans are. What constitutes security can be
different for different people. E.g. Having a planned
savings/retirement program.

• Adventure - Adventure is the need for an adrenaline rush,

to have new experiences, to travel, to have big
experiences, to have drama in their life, to have a sense of
anticipation about upcoming events. E.g. Planning new
trips (even if they are never taken)
• Freedom - Freedom is the need for independence and spontaneity.
It is also the need to have choices and to feel in control of making
those choices. What constitutes freedom for one person may be
very different from another’s need and perception of freedom. E.g.
Feeling free to move around without restrictions.

• Exchange - Exchange is the need to trade information and

knowledge with others, not just to mingle or socialize, but to
deliver and receive something of value. That something of value
may be information, conversation, communication, energy,
friendship, services, money, gifts, love, justice, shared experiences.
E.g. Working with others who have a common goal.
• Power - People with a need for power need to be in a
position of authority and responsibility. They need to
explore power, leadership and accomplishment to be
good organizers and accept responsibility, setting an
example of leadership. E.g. Managing a company, a
division or a department.

• Expansion - Expansion is the need to build something, to

add onto, to create an empire, to expand horizons, to go
where no one has gone before. E.g. Creating a personal
fortune.
• Acceptance - Acceptance is the need to accept yourself and be
accepted by others. This includes a feeling of belonging. People
with a need for Acceptance are usually very easy-going and
pleasant to have in a group. E.g. Being accepted into a club or
group.

• Community - People with a need for Community like having people

around them. They are highly social and will express their
enjoyment of gatherings. These are the best folks to put in charge
of parties and company gatherings. They will seek out people and
are able to maintain large numbers of relationships. E.g. Being the
centre of the office network.
• Expression - Expression is the need to be artistic, to be seen,
to be heard, to be felt. It is the need to express oneself
through words, speech, actions, dress, art and self-creations
of all types. E.g. Writing books, poems, articles.
MASLOW’S THEORY OF HIERARCHY OF NEEDS.
It is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham
Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human
Motivation, which he subsequently extended to
include his observations of humans’ innate
curiosity. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is most
often displayed as a pyramid.
The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most
basic needs, while the more complex needs are located
at the top of the pyramid. Needs at the bottom of the
pyramid are basic physical requirements including the
need for food, water, sleep and warmth. Once these
lower-level needs have been met, people can move on to
the next level of needs, which are for safety and security.
Physiological Needs
These are the literal requirements for human survival. If these
requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot
continue to function. Physiological needs include:
• Breathing
• Human nutrition
• Water
• Human sexual activity Student-teacher explains different levels
of needs using flash cards. What are different level of human
needs.
• Sleep
• Homeostasis
• Excretion
Safety Needs
These needs have to do with people’s yearning for a
predictable orderly world in which perceived unfairness and
inconsistency are under control, the familiar is frequent and
the unfamiliar is rare. In the world of work, these safety
needs manifest themselves in such things as a preference for
job security, safety and security needs include:
• Personal security
• Financial security
• Health and well-being
• Safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse
impacts
Love and Belonging
After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the
third layer of human needs are social and involve
feelings of belongingness. This aspect of Maslow’s
hierarchy involves emotion-based relationships in
general, such as:
• Friendship
• Intimacy
• Family
Esteem
All humans have a need to be respected and to have
self-esteem and self-respect. Also known as the
belonging need, esteem presents the normal human
desire to be accepted and valued by others. People
need to engage themselves to gain recognition and
have an activity or activities that give the person a
sense of contribution, to feel accepted and self-valued,
be it in a profession or hobby.
Self-Actualization
“What a man can be, he must be.” This forms the basis of the
perceived need for self-actualization. This level of need
pertains to what a person’s full potential is and realizing that
potential. Maslow describes this desire as the desire to
become more and more what one is, to become everything
that one is capable of becoming. This is a broad definition of
the need for self-actualization, but when applied to
individuals, the need is specific
NURSES’ ROLE IN BASIC HUMAN
NEEDS
Physiologic Needs
• Oxygen - The nurse evaluates oxygen needs by assessing skin color,
vital signs, anxiety levels, responses to activity, and mental
responsiveness
• Intake and elimination of fluids - The nurse will measure intake and
output, test the resiliency of the skin, check the condition of the
skin and mucous membranes, and weighs the patient which helps
to assess water balance
• Food - Assess nutritional status with a variety of indicators,
including weight, muscle mass, strength, and laboratory values
• Temperature - The nurse will assess it as a vital sign
• Sexuality - The nurse assesses and educate the persons according
to age, sociocultural background, self-esteem, and level of health
Safety and Security Needs
• Involve both physical and emotional - Physical: Proper
hand washing and sterile techniques to prevent infection,
use electrical equipment properly, administering
medications knowledgeably, teaching patients about
dangerous chemicals Emotional: Encouraging spiritual
practices, allowing as much independent decision-
making and control as possible, and carefully explaining
new and unfamiliar procedures and treatments.
Love and Belonging Needs
• Nurses should always consider this when
developing a plan of care
• Include family and friends in the care of the patient
• Establish a nurse-patient relationship based on
mutual understanding and trust (demonstrate
caring, encouraging communication, and
respecting privacy)
• Referring patients to specific support groups
Self-esteem Needs
Respecting patient values and beliefs,
encouraging patients to set attainable goals, and
facilitating support from family or significant
others
Self-actualization Needs
Acceptance of self and others as they are, focus of
interest on problems outside oneself, ability to be
objective, feeling of happiness and affection for
others, respect for all people, ability to
discriminate between good and evil, uses
creativity for solving problems and pursuing
interest.