In February 2022, the Honor the Living service was established to recognize nurses who are no longer able to practice due to health-related conditions. Members of the Honor Guard visit the nurse’s home or another location of the family’s choosing to conduct this meaningful tribute. During the ceremony, the nurse is presented with a Certificate of Appreciation honoring their years of dedication, an Honor Guard challenge coin, and an embroidered Honor Guard blanket.

This service is provided at no cost to the nurse or their family, and a Final Tribute may still be conducted at the nurse’s funeral or memorial service.

For funeral or memorial services, members of the Honor Guard wear traditional nursing attire: white uniforms, cap, and cape. The ceremony includes “standing guard” over the nurse during visitation, symbolizing respect for the dedicated years of service. During the service, a tribute is read recognizing their career as a nurse, followed by the Final Call, which formally releases them from their earthly nursing duties. The family is then presented with a special honor gift: a Nightingale lamp displayed in a handmade keepsake box. The ceremony concludes with the reading of the Nurse’s Prayer, offering comfort and gratitude for a life spent in service to others.

Tennessee Nurses Honor Guard