The South Plains Rural Nurse Honor Guard is a dedicated group of volunteer nurses who pay tribute to their colleagues at their time of passing.
The group was established in December 2024 with 10 ten nurses and has grown to 20 members. The group is made up of retired nurses with a few who are still working and is funded with membership dues. There is no cost for their services.
The solemn and respectful ceremony provided by Honor Guard recognizes nurses’ profound contributions throughout their careers and acknowledges their dedication to caring for others. The ceremony is brief; it takes about 5-8 minutes and consists of reciting the Original Nightingale Pledge, laying a white rose on the casket or next to the urn, a final call to duty, and presenting to the family, a Nightingale Lamp symbolizing the nurse’s dedication to the profession.
The Nightingale lamp is a symbol of knowledge. It symbolizes all Florence Nightingale stood 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 ished tradition marking a students transition into the nursing profession. During the honor guard ceremony, the lamp is respectfully extinguished to symbolize the close of that nurse’s lifetime of service.
During a symbolic pinning ceremony, each lamp is lit prior to the graduation of 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. Ultimately, the bond among nurses is shaped over time through long shifts, shared understanding, and humility. So, when one nurse leaves, SPRNHG steps up to say, “Thank you for the care, sacrifice, and the life you lived in service to others,” to honor that honor that legacy.
Please contact the SPRNHG if a nurse who has entered eternal rest and whose family would welcome these services which are provided in Bailey, Cochran, Hockley, Lamb and Terry counties.
For more information, please leave a message or text (806) 789-9969 or (806) 239-1927.