Founded in December 2024, The South Plains Rural Nurse Honor Guard is a dedicated group made up of working and retired nurses who volunteer their time to pay tribute to their colleagues at their time of passing.
This solemn and respectful ceremony is designed to recognize nurses’ profound contributions and the dedication they have shown in caring for others throughout their careers.
The ceremony is brief and only takes about 5-8 minutes, consisting of the recitation of the Original Nightingale Pledge, laying a white rose on the casket or next to the urn, a final call to duty, and presenting a Nightingale lamp to the family, symbolizing the nurse’s dedication to the profession.
The Nightingale lamp is a symbol of knowledge, representing all that Florence Nightingale stands for: comfort, kindness, gentleness, courage, and an unwavering devotion to duty.
The lighting of the Nightingale lamp is a cherished tradition marking a nursing student’s official transition into the nursing profession. During a symbolic pinning ceremony, each lamp is lit before the nursing students As it is lit at the beginning of one’s nursing career, it is only appropriate for the lamp to be respectfully extinguished at the end of that career.
The bond among nurses is shaped over time, through long shifts and shared unlance derstanding, so when a nurse passes, the South Plains Rural Nurse Honor Guard steps up to say thank you for your service.
All services are free of charge and the Honor Guard covers Bailey, Cochran, Hockley, Lamb, & Terry Counties. If you know a nurse who has recently passed away, they can be reached at (806) 789-9969 or (806) 2391927, interested parties are asked to leave a message or send a text.