A patient is depressed after a divorce and is not eating.The nurse is using Maslow to prioritize care.Which patient need should the nurse address first?

A) Nutrition
B) Emotional safety
C) Depression
D) Love and belonging

According to Maslow,individuals have to meet lower-level needs before they are able to satisfy higher-level needs.The lowest level on the hierarchy consists of very basic physiological needs such as oxygen,water,food (nutrition),sleep,and sex.The second level on the hierarchy consists of safety needs.The third level on the hierarchy is love and belongingness,which is a desire to belong to groups.The fourth level deals with the need for self-esteem.Depression is not a lower need but a higher need.