ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
At the time of their death, many first responders and military are honored with special services as a tribute to their work in their respective fields.
Through the Nurses Honor Guard, those who work in the nursing field are now honored with a similar tribute.
As part of the service, the Nightingale Tribute is performed, and Honor Guard members dress in the traditional white uniform complete with cap and cape.
The ceremony is brief, taking about five minutes and consisting of the Nightingale Tribute and laying of a white rose on the casket or next to the urn, symbolizing the nurse’s dedication to the profession.
After the Nightingale Tribute is recited, a triangle is rung after a roll call for the nurse. The nurse’s name is called three times, and the triangle is rung after each call of the name.
After the roll call, the words are spoken that the nurse is officially released from their nursing duties. A lit Nightingale lamp is carried up at the beginning of the ceremony and is then extinguished and presented to the family with personal condolences made.
Recently, the area Nurses Honor Guard hosted an induction ceremony for new members, and spokesperson Kayleee Yonkers said the Honor Guard is new to the area.
“We have created two chapters, one in Southwest Kansas and one in the Oklahoma Panhandle, and we will service a 100-mile radius in Kansas and the entire Oklahoma Panhandle,” she said.
Yonkers said the impact nursing has on life is huge.
“Every human life in this world is impacted by a nurse either at birth or at death or somewhere in between,” she said.
Yonkers added being a part of the Honor Guard is an amazing distinction for a nurse.
“Nurses often do a thankless task, and this is a little bit of respect for what we do,” she said.
Yonkers said the goal of the area chapters is to have induction ceremonies every fall and spring depending on interest in the Honor Guard.
“Nurses are selected through an application process, and they must be in good standing with the state board of nursing,” she said.
Starting an Honor Guard is not difficult or expensive, with caps and lamps available online and capes made with a simple pattern.
However, with the Honor Guard being completely volunteer, donations are needed to get some of the needed items for services, and Yonkers said donations to the organization are accepted.
“If you’re interested in helping to support the Nurses Honor Guard and not actually be a member of the Nurses Honor Guard, we do accept donations to keep the chapter going,” she said.
Yonkers said donations help offset the costs of the roses and lanterns presented to families at the time of a nurse’s death. She said honoring fellow nurses is a tremendous privilege for her.
“When we moved here from Nebraska, this was the one thing I was really sad about not being able to do,” she said. “To volunteer in the community is part of nursing, and it really makes a huge impact.”
