Transcending the physical: spiritual aspects of pain in patients with HIV and/or cancer

Transcending the physical: spiritual aspects of pain in patients with HIV and/or cancer¶ Spirituality is an important though often neglected aspect of pain in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or cancer, for both patients and nurses. The spiritual domain involves: (1) meaning, (2) hope and (3) love and relatedness. The author examines spiritual aspects of pain in persons with HIV and/or cancer, as supported by the literature. Understanding spiritual aspects of pain carries implications for nursing. One of these implications is that it is important for the nurse to be closer to his/her own spirit in order to be there for the patient in pain. Other nursing implications include spiritual assessment and interventions, such as presence, attentive listening, acceptance and judicious self‐disclosure, for promoting comfort and diminishing pain.