CONTRIBUTED BY ELESE MCKINLEY FOR THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — In March 2023, Amanda Simmons founded the Nurses Honor Guard of the East Central Alabama Region, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the careers and contributions of deceased nurses.
Through heartfelt ceremonies, the Nurses Honor Guard pays tribute to the service and dedication of these individuals with a Nightingale Tribute at the nurse’s funeral, offering a lasting memorial to their impact on the community.
The Nurses Honor Guard begins preparing for its ceremonies by making an official call to the deceased nurse’s next of kin, seeking to learn more about the nurse’s career contributions. The Honor Guard then contacts the family, encouraging them to attend the ceremony and bring personal items to display. During this preparation period, the organization creates personalized placards as keepsakes for the family and typically sets up a display at the funeral.
The Nightingale Tribute ceremonies are a series of heartfelt rituals that honor the deceased nurse’s service. The tribute begins with the Honor Guard members filing to the front of the funeral home or church, carrying a lit porcelain Nightingale lamp. Dressed in traditional World War II-era style uniforms — white dresses, navy capes with red linings and nursing caps — the Honor Guard recites a brief passage before placing a white rose on the casket or urn.
The nurse’s name is then called three times, each followed by the ring of a triangle. When the nurse does not answer the call to duty, she is symbolically released from her nursing duties, and the lamp is extinguished. The tribute is a heartfelt act of appreciation for the nurse’s dedication and lasting impact on the community.
The ceremony typically includes the presentation of a framed certificate and the reading of a tribute that highlights the nurse’s contributions to healthcare.
This event serves as an honorable tribute to the nurse’s dedication and impact on the community.
Simmons shared a memorable experience from a Nightingale Tribute ceremony she conducted for Tracee Williams, a former nurse practitioner, highlighting the deep emotions it evoked for her.
“We attended Tracee’s funeral, and one family member spoke about how African Americans were not always accepted in the nursing field or otherwise when Tracee was [first] in the work force,” Simmons said. “Approximately 50 members of the Chi Eta Phi nursing sorority from all over the country attended Tracee’s funeral, and our guard members were the only attendees who were not African American. We were accepted with open arms, and it was so beautiful to see all of us come together in nursing sisterhood to support Tracee and her family.”
Simmons highlighted the numerous challenges nurses encounter, such as mental health struggles and the risks to their own well-being. She underscored the sacrifices nurses make and the demanding nature of their work. Despite these difficulties, Simmons believes it is all worth it in the end. She said it’s rewarding to see the impact she has on people through her work with the Nurses Honor Guard.
“It has been incredibly rewarding to help families honor their loved ones,” Simmons said. “Many family members have reached out after the ceremony, eager to offer help in any form they are able. We are always open to accepting help. The Nurses Honor Guard truly helps to comfort the loved ones of the deceased nurses, and it’s so meaning to have families stay in touch.”
These services are provided at no cost, funded solely by donations, and the community is encouraged to participate. All donations directly cover the costs of items presented to families during the tributes, such as white roses, a porcelain Nightingale lamp, a custom honorary coin and a placard. Active nurses or those with a valid nursing license in good standing are eligible to join the Honor Guard, but others interested in the organization are welcome to inquire about ways to support its mission.
Simmons envisions the Nurses Honor Guard expanding its impact by starting scholarships for nursing students and hosting community events. Now a hospice nurse, she also emphasizes the importance of celebrating individuals while they are still alive and hopes to introduce living tributes to honor retired nurses near end of life who selflessly served the nursing field.
Simmons understands the need to recognize those who have sacrificed so much to care for others. As the state’s lead coordinator of Nurse Honor Guards, Simmons has made it her personal mission to help new guards form across the state in hopes that every nurse who passes is able to receive a tribute. Presently, Alabama has six guards with coverage for 32 out of 67 counties.
To learn more about the Nurses Honor Guard or to get involved, visit www.nhgeastcentralalabama.com.
