We are nurses who volunteer our time to pay tribute to nurses at the time of their death by performing the Nightingale Tribute and Last Call to Duty 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. There is never a charge to the family for our services.

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)
-Perform 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 an RN, LPN or APRN 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 their Board of Nursing.

In addition to the above services, we also offer a Living Tribute for the nurse who is still living. This heartfelt ceremony celebrates their contributions and dedication to the nursing profession. During the tribute, participating nurses are dressed in traditional white uniforms, and perform the Living Tribute service for the nurse and her family. This service is offered for the nurse who is toward the end-of-life but still alert.

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 to 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 their uniform, 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 may offer a scholarship or other financial assistance to a student nurse(s) through the Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina Scholarship Program.

**Important: If you are donating in honor of a particular nurse, please be sure and include the family contact information in your note so that we can let them know of your donation.**

Our History:

The Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina was founded in June 2019 by Stormy Shealy, a Registered Nurse in South Carolina. Lena Warner was one of the nurses at our first meeting. By our second and third meeting, three other contributory members from various areas of the state of South Carolina had joined us. Together this made a total of 5 Core members who were all instrumental in growing the NHG of SC. Those other three nurses who came on board within our first few months were Kerry Glasser, Beth Edwards and Julie Schlecht. These members remain a vital part of the Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina today.

In less than 5 years we have grown to just over 250 volunteer nurses encompassing 11 chapters that serve the state of South Carolina! There have been so many nurses since then who have also dedicated their time and their hearts to our mission. For that and for the support of families and friends we remain grateful.