Needs: importance and satisfaction in respiratory therapy personnel

Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a base, this article attempts to determine the motivational level of respiratory therapy personnel. Also analyzed was the importance of these needs to the individuals studied. The instrument used to obtain the necessary data was a questionnaire designed to indicate a mathematical score relevant to a person's position in the hierarchy. This instrument was designed by Lyman Porter and is called the Porter needs-satisfaction index (PNSI). The respondents, who were representatives of all classes of respiratory therapy personnel, showed high levels of satisfaction in areas concerned with helping others, autonomy, and prestige. They ranked ability to help others, self-fulfillment, and feelings of accomplishment as highly important. Further analysis of the questionnaires is presently under way. It is hoped that data relative to position in the hierarchy based on demographic data will soon be available.