One final roll call

Once a nurse, always a nurse. And when a nurse is relieved of their earthly duties, the Nursing Honor Guard is there to help honor them.

The South Region chapter started in 2018 after Janet Conder, RN, (pictured to the right in her Honor Guard uniform) with the Bloomington Hospice House, read a magazine article about a group in Anderson.

“My coworkers and I pulled up a video, and it was beautiful,” says Conder. “We all cried, and I said, ‘I want to start a chapter down here around Monroe County.’”

Since then, the group has conducted about 40 tributes for nurses who have passed away.

“The family is always very touched and moved by the ceremony,” says Mary Anne Proctor-Holmes, RN, Bloomington Nursing Professional Development specialist, who has been part of about a dozen ceremonies over the past three to five years.

“Each of them has been different,” says Conder. “I think that’s what makes it special.”

The services provided are based on the family’s request, and can include:

• A table display to honor the loved one’s commitment to the nursing profession
• A standing vigil at the casket during the visitation
• Reciting “A Nurse’s Prayer” at a brief ceremony during visitation, funeral service or at the gravesite
• Providing commemorative bookmarks to immediate family members in remembrance of the honored nurse

The common thread is that all the ceremonies have the Honor Guard dressed in white uniforms and end with a final roll call of the group, ending with the nurse who passed away.

After saying their name three times, an Honor Guard member blows out the lamp and announces that the individual has been relieved of their earthly duties, then hands the lamp to a designated family member.

“Then, we turn and have a moment of silence in front of the casket and file out single file,” says Proctor-Holmes. “It’s a very sobering and humbling experience—like any funeral—but it’s kind of like bible school in that you get more out of it than you ever put in.”

“It’s an honor to be part of this,” says Conder. “The family just seems so grateful that we’re there.”

Nursing Honor Guard services are complimentary and can be requested for any registered or licensed practical nurse who lives in Monroe and surrounding counties. Simply ask the funeral home director to contact Conder at 812.360.7332.

All nurses are welcome to join this volunteer group, including those who aren’t part of IU Health. Additionally, members don’t have to attend all Honor Guard events. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Conder at 812.360.7332.

Top photo (l-r): Melissa Webb, RN; Mary-Beth Nolan, RN; and Charmaine Matavuli, RN showed up for support and observation of what the NHG does.