During National Nurses Month, Ohio’s Hospice Nursing Honor Guard is being recognized. The Nursing Honor Guard of Ohio’s Hospice honors nurses who are in hospice care with Ohio’s Hospice.
The Nursing Honor Guard is made up of Ohio’s Hospice nurses who conduct a ceremony at the patient’s bedside. Dressed in traditional and historical uniforms comprised of a blue and red cape, white dress and cap, the Nursing Honor Guard recognizes nurses for their commitment to caring and providing compassion to patients.
“Though your nursing tasks are complete, they are not forgotten,” the Nursing Honor Guard tells patients during the ceremony. “It is our honor to express our respect for you as a nurse and our gratitude for the care you have given.”
The Nursing Honor Guard ceremony highlights a nurse’s career and individual achievements. The ceremony also includes the recitation of the Florence Nightingale Pledge, a statement of the ethics and principles of the nursing profession.
“I have witnessed the joy and pride that comes to each nurse honored for their nursing career,” said Gail Satterthwaite, RN float. “When we perform the ceremony in our facilities, our residents instantly recognize us as nurses by our white uniforms and caps and capes. It is an honor to be a small part of this service.”
Since 2017, the Nursing Honor Guard has performed six ceremonies at the bedside of nurses who are in our care with Community Care Hospice and Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County. Nurses from Ohio’s Hospice volunteer to serve in this program. They travel to wherever the patient calls home to acknowledge a patient’s many years of service as a nurse.
Due to COVID-19, Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County has temporarily postponed the tributes. Our Nursing Honor Guard looks forward to continuing the tributes when it is safe to do so.
Thank you to nurses everywhere for your care and service and to all nurses who make up the Ohio’s Hospice Nursing Honor Guard!
If the Ohio’s Hospice Nursing Honor Guard can serve your family, please contact your care manager for more information.
Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County, an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, was founded in 1987 as a community hospice to affirm life and provide comfort, symptom management and support in physical, mental and spiritual aspects when there is a life-limiting illness. Committed to respecting and empowering individuals so they remain active in their decision-making and personal choices, Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County earned accreditation from The Joint Commission in 2014. It was selected in 2016, 2017 and 2020 for the prestigious Hospice Honors program of HEALTHCAREfirst and Deyta Analytics, recognizing hospices providing the highest level of quality as measured from the caregiver’s point of view.
