As we remember and commemorate the lives of our loved ones, we seek to find meaningful ways to acknowledge the contributions they have made to each of us personally and to our community.
To answer the call a group of retired and active nurses from Indiana University Health Arnett, with the help of the IU Health Foundation created a Nursing Honor Guard to serve West Central Indiana in assisting families in honoring the lives of loved ones who were nurses. The members of the Nursing Honor Guard are volunteer nurses who consider it an honor and a privilege to participate in the final celebration of life for their fellow nurses.
“I attended a funeral of a friend and co-worker who was a nurse and an honor guard was present,” stated Selina McNulty, RN, manager, labor, delivery and mother baby at IU Health Arnett. “I was so impressed by the service and the respect given to her profession. I immediately thought we need to have an honor guard in Lafayette.”
“The stories I heard from those who attended the funeral really tugged at my heartstrings – this is something we needed to bring to our community to honor fallen nurses,” added Tracy Smith, RN, gastroenterology navigator at IU Health Arnett.
Smith and McNulty started gathering information from the Kokomo Nurse Honor Guard representative, developed a steering committee and presented the concept to leaders. To their delight, they were given the green light to develop the Nursing Honor Guard of West Central Indiana.
As fate would have it, another nursing co-worker was lost in March due to a vehicular accident. Though not fully formed, McNulty, Smith and Sally Lowrey, RN, interim chief nursing officer, IU Health White Memorial, served as Nurse Honor Guards for her funeral.
“It was truly an honor to serve as a Nurse Honor Guard at her funeral,” said Smith. “It added urgency to our mission.”
Smith and McNulty have been recruiting volunteers, which includes retired and active nurses from the entire community. Numerous presentations have been made. Marketing materials have been created. Outreach to funeral homes has begun.
Teresa Butcher, RN, IU Health Frankfort was the first member to complete the Nursing Honor Guard orientation and was officially inducted into the West Central Region Nurse Honor Guard at the June 20 meeting.
These services, which commemorate the lives of Registered or Licensed Practical Nurses, who lived in Clinton, Tippecanoe, White or surrounding counties are provided as a gift to their families.