Theoretical Models of Practice Assessment

Theoretical models are essential frameworks in modern healthcare that direct the provision of high-quality patient care in a variety of clinical settings. These models, which come from a variety of fields including business management, engineering, psychology, and sociology, give nurses methodical ways to comprehend, evaluate, and deal with the intricate interactions between variables affecting health outcomes. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a model from the discipline of psychology that can be applied in nursing practice. This model suggests that human needs are arranged in a certain hierarchy making it important to nurses when prioritizing patient care (Hayre-Kwan et al., 2021). The purpose of this paper is to discuss how Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs model can be applied to advanced nursing practice.

NURS 6003: Transition to Graduate Study for Nursing – Academic and Professional Success Plan

Struggling to meet your deadline?

Get your assignment on Theoretical Models of Practice Assessment done by certified MDs and PhDs in the USA. ORDER NOW!

Meet my deadline

 

Chosen Model of Practice (Theory)

Model Characteristics   Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Psychology)	Application to Your Advanced Practice Role     FNP
Characteristic 1: The model is structured as a pyramid with five levels of needs arranged in order of priority (Shoib et al., 2022).	Nurses can apply this characteristic by providing care in order of priority. At the base of the pyramid are the most fundamental physiological needs, followed by safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization at the pinnacle (Bowen, 2021). For example, the FNP providing care to a patient with asthma exarcerbation begins by prioritizing physiological needs like breathing by providing oxygen. The nurse will then proceed to meet love and belonging needs by providing emotional support and facilitating communication with family members.
Characteristic 2: There is sequential progression of needs (Bowen, 2021).	Advanced practice nurses must recognize that Maslow’s hierarchy requires planning patient care to meet basic physiological needs first followed by fulfilling safety needs and so on (Hayre-Kwan et al., 2021). For example, an FNP taking care of a patient after surgery will focus on monitoring vitals, providing adequate hydration, and managing pain. Once these needs are met, the provider progresses to the safe transfer of the patient to a comfortable environment to minimize infection transmission. The FNP will then engage the family by encouraging visits and providing encouragement. After these needs are met, the provider will focus on esteem needs like praising progress achievements and participation in self-care activities.
Characteristic 3: Prepotency (Bowen, 2021)	Maslow suggested that needs at lower levels of the hierarchy are more prepotent, meaning they must be satisfied to a certain extent before higher-level needs become motivating factors (Shoib et al., 2022). An advanced nurse practitioner should meet the needs that are important for survival before addressing others. For example, an FNP taking care of a homeless individual who is uncooperative serves a plate of rice and provides water to the patient. The nurse recognizes that satisfying the patient’s hunger can help to gather more information that can help to meet other needs. Later, the provider is able to speak to the patient and link him with a social worker who coordinates his registration to a shelter. Meeting the needs that are essential to survival can help the FNP focus on addressing the patient’s safety, emotional well-being, and sense of empowerment to support their overall recovery and well-being.
Characteristic 4: Interconnectedness of human needs (Bowen, 2021).	The model recognizes that individuals may experience needs from multiple levels simultaneously, and the satisfaction of one need does not necessarily eliminate the motivation to fulfill needs at other levels (Bowen, 2021). For example, an FNP taking care of a middle-aged man with diabetes observes struggles to manage their condition due to financial issues. The nurse practitioner proceeds to provide nutritional counseling and facilitates access to medication. However, the nurse recognizes that meeting these physiological needs will be impacted by esteem needs that may not be met due to finacial constraints. The inability to afford necessary healthcare and self-care resources may lead to feelings of inadequacy, frustration, and hopelessness, undermining the patient’s confidence and motivation to manage their condition effectively (Xu et al., 2021). The provider may solve this problem by providing generic equivalents of medication, education on budget-friendly dietary choices, or addressing broader social determinants of health and enhancing the patient’s overall well-being.
Characteristic 5: There is cultural and individual variability to satisfaction of needs (Montag et al., 2020).	Different cultures and individuals may prioritize certain needs differently based on their values, beliefs, and life circumstances (Montag et al., 2020). For example, an FNP taking care of a client who requires pain medication considers the cultural beliefs about pain and the use of certain medications. The nurse takes the time to assess the patient’s cultural beliefs and preferences regarding pain management and collaborates with the healthcare team to develop a personalized pain management plan that respects the patient’s cultural values and preferences.
Characteristic 6: Deficiency versus growth needs (Bowen, 2021).	Deficiency needs (physiological and safety) arise from a lack of something and motivate individuals to fulfill those needs, while growth needs (love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization) are desires for personal development and fulfillment. An FNP taking care of a patient following a renal transplant focuses on meeting the deficiency needs including focusing on safety to minimize complications. Upon meeting these needs, the nurse will focus on growth to meet the emotional and psychological aspects of care (Xu et al., 2021).

WGU’s Personal Theoretical Framework for Advanced Practice Nursing

In conclusion, theoretical models serve as indispensable frameworks guiding the delivery of quality patient care across diverse clinical settings. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a model from the discipline of psychology that advanced nurse practitioners can use to plan care for patients. This model suggests that human needs are arranged in a hierarchical order, with lower-level needs requiring fulfillment before higher-level needs become motivators (Bowen, 2021). The key characteristics that guide the application of the model include the hierarchy structure of needs, progression, prepotency, interconnectedness, cultural variability, and deficiency versus growth aspects of human needs.

References

Bowen, B. (2021). The matrix of needs: Reframing Maslow’s hierarchy. Health, 13(5), 538-563. https://doi.org/10.4236/health.2021.135041

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

Montag, C., Sindermann, C., Lester, D., & Davis, K. L. (2020). Linking individual differences in satisfaction with each of Maslow’s needs to the Big Five personality traits and Panksepp’s primary emotional systems. Heliyon, 6(7), e04325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04325

Shoib, S., Amanda, T. W., Menon, V., Ransing, R., Kar, S. K., Ojeahere, M. I., … & Saleem, S. M. (2022). Is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs applicable during the COVID-19 pandemic?. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 44(1), 98-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176211060435

Xu, J. X., Wu, L. X., Jiang, W., & Fan, G. H. (2021). Effect of nursing intervention based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in patients with coronary heart disease interventional surgery. World Journal of Clinical Cases, 9(33), 10189–10197. https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v9.i33.10189