Final answer:
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the patient who is hungry after being NPO for several days requires the nurse's priority attention, as their fundamental physiological need for food is not met, which takes precedence over psychological and emotional needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the most basic level includes physiological needs necessary for survival. In a healthcare setting, the priority would be given to those patients whose physiological needs are not being met since these needs are foundational for addressing higher-level needs such as safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. In the scenario provided, the patient who is hungry after being NPO (nothing by mouth) for several days would require the nurse's priority attention, as their basic physiological need for food is not satisfied.
Applying Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the patient with the most fundamental and unmet need takes precedence. Therefore, the immediate concern is to address the basic physiological requirement of nutrition before attending to the psychological and emotional needs of the patients who are experiencing anxiety, loneliness, or fear due to surgery, boredom, or a new diagnosis.