NBCSN Nationally Certified School Nurse Practice Exam

In Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the first level is physiological needs. This foundational category encompasses the basic requirements necessary for human survival, such as air, water, food, shelter, sleep, and clothing. Until these essential needs are met, individuals cannot effectively focus on higher-level needs, such as safety and security, social relationships, esteem, or self-actualization.

The hierarchy is structured in a way that emphasizes the importance of meeting lower-level needs before addressing those that are higher up. Physiological needs are crucial because they are the most immediate and urgent for survival. Once individuals' physiological needs are satisfied, they can then strive to fulfill their need for safety, followed by social connections, esteem, and ultimately self-actualization, which is the realization of one's potential and self-fulfillment. This progression reflects the idea that the fulfillment of more complex needs becomes possible only after basic survival needs are addressed.