0071

‘THE NATURE OF SOUL PAIN IN CHILDREN’

Brother Francis

UK

“When I hear a baby’s cry of pain change to a normal cry of hunger, to my ears, that is the most beautiful music…” Albert Schweitzer (1903)

The supposition underlying this paper is that; there is a difference between the concepts of ‘soul pain’ and ‘spiritual distress’ or ‘spiritual pain’. That ‘soul pain’ should in fact become a nursing diagnosis.

It will outline some of the psychological factors which influence pain in children. It will start to explore the importance of understanding the role of suffering in children’s pain, intractable pain, and define Soul Pain.

A short case history will be presented to illustrate soul pain in a child with cancer, and suggest interventions, which we as paediatric nurses can make with this aspect of a child’s pain management.

This work is based on my dissertation at The Institute of Cancer Research, which was on, ‘The Nature of Soul Pain in Children with Cancer’ this presentation is based on this original piece of work.

“...And though I was a soul in pain,

My pain I could not feel....”

The Ballad of Reading Gaol By Oscar Wild.