Central Alabama Nurses Honor Guard Gives Fallen Nurses a Final Tribute
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — For decades, nurses have cared for people during some of the happiest and most difficult moments of their lives. Now, a group of nurses in Central Alabama is making sure those caregivers are honored after death.
The Central Alabama chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard, formed about a year and a half ago, provides memorial tributes for deceased nurses at funeral services. The chapter is part of a national organization that honors nurses through ceremonial “Nightingale Tributes.”
“We provide memorial tributes at fallen nurses funerals, so very similar to a military tribute,” said Shayna Parlette with the Central Alabama Nurses Honor Guard.
Since forming, the group has performed 24 ceremonies across Montgomery, Elmore, Chilton, Autauga, Pike, Lowndes and Crenshaw counties. About 40 nurses volunteer with the organization.
During the ceremonies, members wear traditional historical nursing uniforms featuring white uniforms and caps with blue and red capes. One nurse carries a lit lamp, symbolizing the lamp Florence Nightingale carried while caring for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Another nurse reads the Nightingale Tribute aloud, which describes the best traits of nurses, while fellow nurses respond with the phrase, “she was there.”
Some of the tribute’s most emotional lines include: “When a calming quiet presence was all that was needed … she was there,” and “In the excitement and miracle of birth or in the mystery and loss of life … she was there.”
The ceremony is named after Florence Nightingale. “Florence Nightingale is considered the pioneer of modern nursing,” Parlette said.
As part of the tribute, a white rose is placed on the casket to symbolize appreciation for the nurse’s compassion and service. Nurses then participate in a final roll call, calling the deceased nurse’s name three times before extinguishing the lamp, symbolically releasing the nurse from duty.
“At the beginning of your nursing career, you have a pinning ceremony, and it’s just a very touching celebration of becoming a nurse, and so this is an opportunity to release the nurse from their duties at the end of their career, at the end of their life,” Parlette said.
For nurses like Shayna Parlette, Dr. Shellye Vardeman, Dr. Patricia Jackson, Debbie Allen, and Dr. Leslie Painter, the ceremonies are deeply personal.
“We survive life and death (situations) together,” Parlette said. “We get to experience the greatest memories of people’s lives and also some of the scariest times. We get to be there to support them, so from a nursing standpoint, we rely on each other. We rely on each other and it’s a bond. It really is respect for our colleagues.”
At the end of each ceremony, the extinguished lamp is presented to the nurse’s family as a final reminder that even after death, their loved one’s light still shines.
The Central Alabama Nurses Honor Guard ceremonies are provided free of charge to families. You can donate to the organization or request a ceremony by calling (334) 590-6993 or centralalnursehonorguard@gmail.com.
