Caring For Human Needs

Definition of need
The life of a healthy person can be characterized as the constant satisfaction of various needs that have different values ​​for a person. Some needs are understood by a healthy person as a necessity (sleeping, eating, drinking, defecating, etc.) and if these needs are satisfied - somehow inadvertently, he does not deal with them too much. Their satisfaction is automatic (e.g. the need to breathe) and self-evident (e.g. the need to defecate). If a person satisfies the basic needs necessary for daily life (survival), he is able to satisfy higher needs (e.g. needs for self-realization).

Other life needs are life goals - wishes - desires. They have a permanent conscious focus, a person devotes a lot of attention and energy to them. A healthy person is able to satisfy his goals and needs by himself. The disease affects not only the internal homeostasis of the organism, but also the balance with the external environment. New needs will arise and others will be updated. Therefore, one of the goals of nursing is for the nurse to be able to find and satisfy the needs of the sick.

Different perspectives on human needs

 * Biology understands needs as drives, reflexes, unconscious activities often arising from automatic reactions and functions of the organism. Needs are requirements for the environment (O2, H2O, nutrients, etc.) aimed at maintaining internal homeostasis, growth, reproduction and maintaining physical health with clear negative feelings: thirst, hunger, pain, pressure, etc. E.g.: The most frequent need is breathing (16/minute). It is an unconscious automatic need until O2's access to cells is restricted. Then we all have the same need (drive, reaction) - within 2 minutes an acute feeling of lack of air - O2.


 * Psychology - needs are a basic motivational force important for human life and development. Needs are states of lack – such as certainty, safety, help, love, trust, success, freedom; with negative feelings: fear, uncertainty, threat of sadness, inferiority; lead to behavior change. Needs focus on life goals, wishes and values ​​- long-term and conscious efforts. They are individual and influenced by personality, age, gender, status, environment, socialization, etc.
 * Sociology - needs arise from social claims and relationships of various groups and communities.
 * Economy - needs are based on the necessity (existence) or request to own or use certain resources and money.
 * Philosophy - needs arise from various philosophical and spiritual approaches to man and the world. They follow the values ​​and direction of man towards the world, life, nature, the cosmos, God, ...

Emergence of need
Need is a state of the organism characterized by tension and dynamic force, arising from lack or excess, aimed at restoring the balance of homeostasis, life balance, well-being and fulfillment of one's life goals. If the balance is disturbed (the balance can be imagined as scales), we start to feel that something is missing or, on the contrary, is over, we are thirsty, we are cold or we are missing important information, for example. Naturally, we try to correct the resulting deficiency or excess so that we reach optimal well-being again, i.e. they had saturated this or that need.

The process of satisfying needs
We naturally and purposefully direct our behavior and actions in such a way that the resulting deficiency or excess is optimized and that we again reach a state of equilibrium, i.e. they had saturated this or that need.