A special ceremony paying respect to nurses at their funerals is touching hearts and consoling their loved ones. Organized in local chapters, the Nurses Honor Guard is a volunteer service created and conducted by nurses for their deceased nurse colleagues.

In an echo of military honor guards, nurses in traditional white uniforms and starched caps, when invited by families, perform a brief, dignified recognition of the deceased’ s nursing service. Two or more volunteer nurses, at the appointed time, speak from a prepared ceremonial script and perform a symbolic ritual during a funeral. Kara Branton, RN, organizer of the Nurses Honor Guard of the River Valley, first experienced the special ceremony during the funeral of her own grandmother, performed by one of the earliest chapters in the state. She had learned of the honor guard by seeing a video and found a chapter in Searcy, Ark. that was willing to be at the funeral of Branton’ s grandmother, an RN.

Deeply moved and comforted by the ceremony, she formed a local chapter based in Fort Smith and recruited other nurse volunteers. Kara described the ritual they do.

“ We light a candle, give a short, personalized tribute and read a poem,” Kara explained. The candle is held in an oldfashioned oil lamp associated with Florence Nightingale( 1820-1910), a British war nurse and educator known as the founder of modern nursing.

“ At the end of our ceremony, we do a‘ final page’ – we ring a triangle and call their name three times, pausing between each call,” Kara said, reminiscent of the way nurses are paged over hospital intercoms. A member of the honor guard rings a musical triangle to sound a tone at each call.

“ After the third page calling their name, we release them from their earthly nursing duties,” she said.“ Then, we put out the flame and present the lamp to the family, along with white roses.”

The response from families, Kara said“ has been so positive and with such gratitude. Of all the things I have done in my nursing career, this is so special.”

To gather a local corps of volunteers, Kara had the help of retired RN Sue Christian, who has many contacts from her long volunteer role as organizer of an annual Nurses Prayer

Breakfast in Fort Smith. Sue was immediately moved to help Kara make an appeal through the prayer breakfast’ s social network, called Nurses of Faith.

Kara is also helped by retired nurse Joyce Simpson. They soon realized that funeral honor requests were short-notice and could include more than one service per day. But steadily, volunteer nurses stepped up to meet almost all requests – even with busy work shifts that complicate volunteer scheduling. The honor guard is all-volunteer and asks no compensation for their presence. Some families donate to the non-profit chapter but this is not asked nor required, Kara explained.

Kara speaks for many volunteers when she says that participation in the ceremony“ blesses us, as well.” She and others who perform honors take the eulogies of each deceased nurse to heart.“ One of my favorite and really unexpected things is just getting to learn about each person,” she said.“ Not only did they have impact as nurses while living; their nursing career has impact still, now.”

She keeps the biographical notes about each nurse who has passed away because they have personally inspired her, Kara said. She is an RN with Mercy – Fort Smith.

The Nurses Honor Guard River Valley chapter is asked to appear at other events, according to Kara. The UAFS Carolyn McKelvey Moore School of Nursing recently invited the honor guard to its graduate“ pinning” ceremony, where they attended in full uniform to celebrate the students’ completion of nursing degrees.

As a group, honor guard volunteers do other community service, accept speaking requests, donate time and items to Hope Campus and the Sack Lunch meal program, and much more.

Nurses Honor Guard chapters have spread throughout Arkansas and other states. In Arkansas, the funeral director association has begun to tell loved ones about the opportunity at the time of funeral planning.

Nurses who volunteer appreciate the moment when attendees notice their presence, manifesting a quiet ripple of recognition of the all-white nurse uniforms and sometimes, traditional blue capes. At some funerals, any other nurses present are asked to stand, both giving and receiving a silent tribute of respect, themselves.

The honor ceremony is sometimes the most fully the bereaved have understood their loved one’ s selflessness, dedication and service of caring for others.

Supporting the Nurses Honor Guard is something Kara feels she will do for the rest of her life, she said. It fulfills the heartfelt vocation she and other nurses hold dear – to care for and comfort people in need, with dignity and compassion.

OURHEALTHNWA. COM 14 MAY 2025 | CELEBRATING LOCAL NURSES ISSUE