The Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina was founded in June 2019 by Stormy Shealy, a Registered Nurse in the Upstate of South Carolina. We began with just 6 nurses and have now grown to almost 250 volunteer nurses encompassing 8 chapters that serve the state of South Carolina.

We are nurses who volunteer our time to pay tribute to nurses at the time of their death by performing the Nightingale Tribute at the funeral or memorial service. This service is steeped in tradition and is similar to a military tribute and officially releases the nurse from their nursing duties. Our tribute lasts about 5 minutes.

The Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina will:
-Attend all services wearing the traditional white uniform, cap and cape
-Stand guard at the casket and provide a presence at the services (per family request)
-Recite the Nightingale Tribute at the funeral or memorial service
-Present the Florence Nightingale lamp to the family
-Perform Last Call to Duty

This ceremonial tribute is offered free of charge for any South Carolina resident who was a Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, Licensed Practical Nurse or anyone active or retired, who holds a nursing license in good standing with the Board of Nursing from their home state or the state of South Carolina. Their license can be non-active if they were retired, as long as it was in good standing with the Board of Nursing.

In addition to the above services, if a nurse is at the end of their life and is alert, we can offer them a Living Tribute, while they are alive, and be able to honor them before their passing,. This tribute is very special because it gives us the opportunity to honor that nurse while she is still living.

We are a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization. We are staffed strictly by both working and retired nurses who volunteer their time to pay respect and honor our nurse-colleagues.  Any donations are tax-deductible, and a written receipt will be sent. Donations are used to purchase, the lanterns, the boxes, white roses, bells and other items needed to perform our service. Each nurse purchases her dress, cap and cape at their own expense and volunteers their personal time to perform our tribute service. If we have money left after the above supplies, we will offer a scholarship or other financial assistance to a student nurse(s) through the Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina Scholarship Program.