When Kristine Howard, BSN, RN, CCM, attended a close friend’s funeral last December, she witnessed something incredibly moving — a national Nurse Honor Guard paying tribute to her late friend’s decades of service as a nurse. The touching ceremony inspired Kristine to bring this tradition of honoring nurses to her home state of New Hampshire.
“When they did the whole tribute, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Kristine recalls. “I had never seen anything like it before, and I knew right then that I wanted to start a nursing honor guard in our area.”
Kristine, the manager of outpatient care coordination at St. Joseph Hospital, quickly discovered that New Hampshire was one of the only states without its own chapter. She eagerly took on the challenge of establishing the first one.
The Nurse Honor Guard performs a special ceremony during funeral or memorial services. Members of the guard pay respects and honor their late colleagues’ life’s work in nursing while providing comfort and compassion to their family and friends. It’s similar to a military tribute, where they beautifully “release” the nurse from their earthly nursing duties.
Dressed in white clinical wear, the guards perform a tribute through readings, candle lighting and a ceremonial “final call” recognizing the nurse being honored.
“You wear the cap, a white dress, white hose, white shoes and a cape,” says Kristine. “You proceed into the memorial service carrying a white rose, which is the symbol of Florence Nightingale, and a Nightingale lamp with a flame or LED light.”
Just a few months after its founding, the New Hampshire Nurse Honor Guard already had over a dozen volunteers ready to perform tributes. Kristine created a website for the group, allowing nurses to join and request tributes for their friends and colleagues.
Kristine has contacted hospices, nursing homes, funeral homes and caregiver groups to raise awareness about the guard’s services. She even met with Governor Chris Sununu, who issued a proclamation recognizing the New Hampshire Nurse Honor Guard during National Nurses Week in May.
“He didn’t realize we were the only state without one and was so happy we had formed it,” says Kristine. “Having that recognition from the governor’s office was really meaningful.”
While the New Hampshire Nursing Honor Guard is just beginning, Kristine has big plans for its future impact. Eventually, she wants to establish a formal nonprofit with a board of directors, consistent membership and regional representatives across the state.
“I’d love to see us get to the point where we could start giving out nursing scholarships from donations,” she says. “These nurses are such selfless caregivers. Having this type of tribute to honor their life’s work is so important.”
The guard’s first official tribute is right around the corner. When that day comes, it will mark an incredible milestone — thanks to one nurse’s vision, New Hampshire’s selfless guardians of health will finally receive the honor and recognition they so deserve for a lifetime of service.
All nurses, nursing students or retired nurses are invited to volunteer for a future tribute, request a tribute or donate to
support the New Hampshire Nurse Honor Guard’s efforts. For more information on getting involved, visit www.nhnursehonorguard.org.