The Nurse Honor Guard of Eastern Ohio

The Nightingale lamp ceremony began in the 1860’s at England’s Florence Nightingale School of Nursing. Florence carried the lamp at night to check on her sleeping patients during the Crimean War.  Lighting this lamp symbolizes a graduate’s entrance into the profession. Ending the service, a lamp is extinguished to honor the end of a nursing journey. 

The Nurse Honor Guard of Eastern Ohio presents the ceremonial lamp to a loved one at the service completion. 

Ever the symbol or respect, reverence, unity and new beginnings.   The white rose signifies the nurse's devotion to their profession. We honor them and give them a white rose to symbolize our honor and appreciation for being our colleague. 

A white rose is placed by a Nurse Honor Guard at the casket, urn. or photo  

The Final Call to Duty may be performed during the service or at the gravesite.  During the Final Call to Duty, the Nightingale Lamp is lit prior to the service in the nurse's honor. The nurse's name is called out, with no response, the nurse's name is repeated twice more. After the third and final call, the nurse's full name is announced as being retired and the lamp's flame is extinguished.  This is the final call for those who have served selflessly and given their lives for the good of their fellow man.