If ABC priorities cannot be applied, which framework should guide priority setting?

• A. Erikson's Stages of Development
• B. Orem's Self-C Care Theory
• C. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• D. Gordon's Functional Health Patterns

Answer: (C)

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs guides priority setting when immediate ABC priorities cannot be applied. It orders needs from the most basic physiological requirements up to safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The base must be addressed first because until physiological needs are met—such as fundamental comfort and safety—higher-level goals aren’t achievable. So, when ABC-based triage isn’t feasible, you still prioritize by ensuring fundamental survival needs are met, then move to safety and psychosocial aspects as appropriate. Other theories offer useful lenses—Erikson emphasizes psychosocial development, Orem focuses on self-care deficits, and Gordon provides a broad health-pattern assessment—but Maslow uniquely provides the essential ordering of needs for prioritizing care in this context.