In the pantheon of those we ceremonially honor at the time of their death, there are, of course, our military personnel, statement of note, and fire and police first responders. But did you ever consider those in the nursing profession who, of course, provide selfless and dedicated service to others in the healing profession and may warrant similar treatment? Giving nurses the “last full measure of devotion” is the idea of the newly formed organization, Clinton Lycoming Nurses Honor Guard.
This volunteer group is part of a nationwide organization known as the Nurses Honor Guard. The group is among the more than 125 Nurse Honor Guard programs that have been formed since the first one was started in Illinois in 2003. Like a military tribute, the Nurse Honor Guard attends the funeral or memorial service for a nurse who has passed. It is a way to honor a nurse and show respect for the nursing profession.
“I’m retired now, but I still get together with a bunch of nurses for brunch at least once a month. And I am still very proud of all my years as a nurse,” Mary Dremel-Farley, one of the organizers of the new group, told Webb Weekly.
“Recently, our group of brunch nurses was approached about needing an honor guard for a fellow colleague. Her family had heard of other honor guards and wanted their sister honored by having this ceremony for her. At that time, there was no Nurses Honor Guard group in Clinton or Lycoming counties to perform that ceremony at their funerals or memorial services. Most of us knew this particular nurse and wanted to help make this dream come true for her and her family. So, we started planning, organizing, and contacting the national chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard to find out how to make this happen. We discovered it wasn’t just about presenting a program to honor the nurse. It was gathering enough people to perform a ceremony, deciding what to include and not to include, what we should wear, what supplies were needed to perform the ceremony, and even who could be part of the group! Then came the need to get the word out: How can we get a brochure? How can we let people know that there is this wonderful service? How can we contact all these funeral homes? Frankly, it was a labor of love, and we are all grateful to have participated in creating the Clinton Lycoming Nurses Honor Guard.”
She said every memorial service for the honor guard is a little different. Many honor guards wear the “traditional dress” of nurses. This means a nursing cap, a cape, and “nursing whites.” “‘Whites’ are the white uniform that nurses used to standardly wear to work. It included your white nurse cap, your white uniform, white stockings, and, of course, your white leather shoes.” The honor guard has taken a more modern approach to our dress code. They believe nurses are no longer just identified by the “white uniform.” In fact, several of the nurses have never worn a nursing cap. And many of them have never seen a nursing cape. So, their dress code ranges from the traditional dress of cap, cape, and whites to a professional look of a lab coat and stethoscope.
“We can be notified of a nurse’s passing in many different ways. Sometimes, a colleague will call and let us know that a family may need our service. Sometimes it’s the funeral home that contacts us, and sometimes it’s just someone who has heard of other nurse honor guards and wants that for their loved one,” stated Dremel-Farley.
She continued, “We work together with the funeral home or family to see how we can best fit into their service to honor their years of dedication to the nursing profession. Sometimes, the family wants to talk to us and share how important their loved ones’ nursing profession was during their life. When people talk about their loved one, they often say, ‘She was a wonderful mother/father and spouse or sibling.’ But often, there is no mention of them being a nurse. Sometimes, they were at the hospital more than they were at home, or even when they were home, they were busy comforting a patient over the phone or sharing their medical expertise with the neighborhood. The part of this person that was a nurse never stopped being a nurse. There was no ‘off’ button. It was a part of their entire being.
“There are other professions that honor their fallen heroes. But that was never something that nurses did for each other. That was part of the reason for the nurses’ honor guard being established.”
According to her, the honor guard ceremony isn’t long. It consists of the honor guard group proceeding to the front of the room and honoring that person’s life as a nurse. They carry a Nightingale lamp with its light on at the beginning of the service. They read the Nightingale tribute, which goes back to the Florence Nightingale pledge they took as new nurses. They then ask all nurses in attendance to stand before they perform a final “call to duty.” The nurse’s name is called three times, and a chime rings each time her name is called. When the nurse does not respond, they state, “We officially release you from your nursing duties,” and the Nightingale lamp is turned off to symbolize this. The group then slowly proceeds to the back of the room, on the way, presenting a family with a copy of the Nightingale tribute with their loved one’s name printed on it, along with a white rose.
Nurses are healers, and the ceremony is very healing for the family that has lived the demands required of a nurse throughout their lives. The coalition said, “The ceremony also heals the hearts of the Nurses Honor Guard members as it brings back the dignity and respect for the profession that has been challenged recently during COVID-19.”
She said that after almost every ceremony, people who attended approached the group. They wanted to show their appreciation and talk about their loved ones, and this filled us with gratitude.
“Some of the responses we received were: ‘You are all a blessing. Thank you for what you were doing. The tribute to my sister was so touching and meant so much to everyone there. Thank you for all of this wonderful service that the Nurses Honor Guard provided for my sister Karen. It was very moving, to say the least. My sister spent her whole life caring and taking care of others. When people answer the call to be a nurse, I believe they answer the call from God to serve and take care of others. Thank you all very much, and a big thank you goes out to all nurses for your lifetime of love and compassion.’
“And so, we helped fulfill a dream, not only for the family of one nurse’s family but for our group as well,” concluded Dremel-Farley.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Clinton Lycoming Nurses Honor Guard or need more information, feel free to contact Mary Kay at 570-377-0034 or Dawn at 570-220-9005.
