Nurse Honor Guard Offers Final Tributes to Nurses in Milbank Area

Have you witnessed a graveside flag-folding ceremony performed as a tribute to a member of the military? Heard an “end of watch” call made over the radio for a recently departed police officer or firefighter? Both of these time-honored rituals recognize the professional service of the honoree.They also provide comfort for their grieving family. 

The Nurse Honor Guard recognizes nurses in much the same way. Although the organization has a comparatively short history, it has been performing Nightingale Tributes for members of the nursing profession since 2003. The tradition began as a local farewell in Kansas, but today over 250 groups have been formed in the U.S.  

The brief ceremony is performed by the honor guard nurses dressed in traditional white uniforms, caps, and navy blue capes lined in red. The guard announces a final roll call by repeating the honoree’s name three times – each call is followed by a ringing of a triangle – and a white rose is placed on the coffin or urn.  A Nightingale lamp, lit and used during the rite, is extinguished at the close of the ceremony to signify the honoree has been relieved of their nursing duties. The family receives the lamp as a memento.

A chapter of active and retired nurses in the Milbank area are now volunteering to bring the Nightingale Tribute ceremonies to funerals, memorial services, and visitations across northeast South Dakota. The local group began organizing about  a year ago, and they now have over 50 nurses they can call upon in the Milbank, Watertown, Webster, and Sisseton area.

Karen Russman of Milbank says she joined the group because, “I wanted to pay tribute to my colleagues who have spent a lifetime caring for others. It is a very moving tribute, especially when you are honoring a colleague that you once worked with.”

“I like being a part of this group to recognize all of the things a nurse has done in her career and to recognize the sacrifices they and their families have made so the nurse could do her job,” Russman adds. “It not only recognizes the nurse, it also recognizes the family for the sacrifices they have made.”

Laura Frankenhoff of Summit says being part of a Nightingale Tribute has been particularly rewarding for her because of the responses they receive from family members.  “One family, whose mother was honored during  a ceremony, said, ‘The Nurse Honor Guard tribute was a wonderful event to witness and to remember how wonderful our nurse was. It helped our hearts to see how loved she was – not just by us – but also by her coworkers.”’

Interested  in becoming a member of the Nurse Honor Guard?  “Nurse Honor Guard is open to any nurse currently working or retired,”  Russman says. She also notes a ceremony can be requested for anyone who has worked as a nurse anytime in their life. 

If you would like to arrange a Nightingale Tribute for your loved one, ask your funeral director to include it in your service. Questions? Need more information? Contact Karen Russman at 605.310.6711.

Photo: left to right- Susan Leddy, Renae Christensen, Kathy Johnson, Laura Frankenhoff and Karen Russman.