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Nursing is a calling, a lifestyle, a way of living, and a service profession. In healthcare, nurses provide care, comfort, and support. It’s fitting to honor them both during their career and at the end of their life’s journey. The Nurse Honor Guard is a powerful symbol of tradition, compassion, and respect, embodying values like compassion, reverence, and unity.
The Nurse Honor Guard uses traditions to honor nursing colleagues at their death, remembering their lives and legacies. This tradition eases the loss for grieving families and recognizes the selfless commitment of nurses. A national, state, and local volunteer organization, the Nurse Honor Guard performs the Nightingale Tribute and Final Call of Duty at funeral services, officially releasing the nurse from their duties.
Wearing distinctive white uniforms, capes, and caps, the Honor Guard performs the Nightingale Tribute free of charge. The five-minute tribute includes reciting the Nightingale Tribute and laying a white rose on the casket or next to the urn. After the tribute, a chime rings after a roll call of the nurse’s name, which is called three times. The nurse is then officially released from duties, and a lit Nightingale lamp is extinguished and presented to the family.
This ritual allows fellow nurses to commemorate their colleague’s work and dedication.
The Nurse Honor Guard is more than a ceremony; it is a tribute to the history, traditions, and spirit of nursing. It is a reminder that the nurses’ legacy is woven into healthcare’s fabric, deserving celebration, honor, and remembrance. We are nurses honoring nurses.
For information on how to become a Nurse Honor Guard, please contact: Adrian Hughes, ahughes23@ivytech.edu
For information on how to donate to this fund, please contact: Laura Wilson, lwilson160@ivytech.edu.
