Our Services
The Maryland Nurse Honor Guard attends memorial services for any Maryland professional nurse including for Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), or other advanced practice nurse.
We provide tributes at any type of memorial service including funerals, graveside, interment, or celebrations of life. Also, we provide Living Tributes for retired Maryland nurses who may be in memory care or hospice to honor them in person.
Our services are provided free of charge to families across the State of Maryland based on the availability of volunteers.
Memorial Tributes
The Nightingale Tribute is comforting to families and helps provide closure by honoring their loved one's dedication to nursing. It offers an opportunity for fellow nurses to commemorate and recognize their colleague's unique contributions to our nursing profession. We welcome people of all backgrounds, cultures and faiths to receive our non-denominational services.
It is a short ceremony (generally 2-5 minutes) and can be placed anywhere within the service appropriate to the preferences of the family or clergy.
We can help coordinate the tribute within the service in collaboration with the family, funeral home and place of worship as appropriate, and are able to adapt our readings to suit the recipient.
The Nightingale Tribute consists of:
- Short synopsis of nurse's career (optional)
- Creative reading
- Presentation of white rose
- Final Roll Call - release of nurse duties
- Presentation of lamp to family
Living tributes
Living Tributes are performed for nurses during their life in recognition and gratitude for their service. This tribute thanks the nurse in person with a reading, and gifts of a rose and blanket. Common places for living tributes are in the home, hospice or nursing facility and can be small or large gatherings depending on the family and member's wishes.
Other Special Events
The Maryland Nurse Honor Guard is also available for special events where we may support the recognition of nurses in our community including:
- Nurses Week
- Student Nurse Pinning, Lamp lighting or
graduation ceremonies - Parades
- Community Activities
- Health Fairs
If there is an event you would like to request the presence of the Nurse Honor Guard at that is not listed above, please select "other" and provide details in the form to the left and we will be in touch.