Honoring those who have passed
The Nightingale Tribute
The Nurses Honor Guard recognizes and honors nurses, who dedicate their lives to caring for others, by performing The Nightingale Tribute and Final Call to Duty at funeral and memorial services. This ceremony officially releases the nurse from their nursing duties.
A uniformed nurse begins the tribute by lighting the Nightingale Lamp, a symbol of the nurse’s education, knowledge, and dedication. After the lamp lighting, the Nightingale Tribute is read. When the nurse does not respond to the Final Call to Duty, they are relieved of their earthly and professional responsibilities and the candle is extinguished. The lamp and candle are presented to the family, along with a single white rose, to signify the nurse’s commitment to their profession.
The Nightingale Lamp
The White Rose
The Final Call to Duty
The Nightingale Tribute Reading
Nursing is a calling, a lifestyle, a way of living. Nurses here today honor _______________ and his/her life as a nurse.
_______________ is not remembered by his/her _____ years as a nurse, but by the difference he/she made during those years by stepping into people’s lives . . . . by special moments.
“She Was There”
When a calming, quiet presence was all that was needed,
She was there.
In the excitement and miracle of birth or in the mystery and loss of life,
She was there.
When a silent glance could uplift a patient, family member or friend,
She was there.
At those times when the unexplainable needed to be explained,
She was there.
When the situation demanded a swift foot and sharp mind,
She was there.
When a gentle touch, a firm push, or an encouraging word was needed,
She was there.
In choosing the best one from a family’s “Thank You” box of chocolates,
She was there.
To witness humanity’s beauty, in good times and bad, without judgment,
She was there.
To embrace the woes of the world, willingly, and offer hope,
She was there.
And now, that it is time to be at the Greater One’s side,
She is there.