Oak Island nurses honor lives through Nurse Honor Guard
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Similar to the Military Honor Guard, a group of nurses in Oak Island are honoring their own with special tributes.
“It started out to be a career and it turned into a lifelong story. It was nothing else that I knew,” Nurse Ginny Schnieders said.
A group of retired nurses are continuing to serve by honoring fellow nurses who dedicated their lives to helping others.
“As a nurse, we give so much. Not just to the patient, but to the families, to the community. And to be able to respect that person’s life by showing tribute to them – means the world to me,” Nurse Cindy Blue said.
They have formed what they’re calling a Nurse Honor Guard for Southeastern North Carolina.
The group attends funerals for nurses — reciting the Nurse’s Prayer, presenting the Florence Nightingale Lamp and issuing a “Relief from Duty” for the nurse who died.
These nurses recall the hardships they faced and they feel this is their way to give back to those who faced the same.
“I was a nurse in Connecticut for 36 years in the neonatal ICU and it’s so rewarding but sad times too. But, we do what we do and it’s a special profession.,” Nurse Judy Gilbert said.
Nurse Honor Guard of Southeastern North Carolina’s Founder, Becky Lanier, said the role a nurse plays in a patient’s life is something that can’t be forgotten.
“You don’t stop nursing when you retire. It is a calling and when you’re a nurse, you’re a nurse forever,” Founder Becky Lanier said.
These nurses extend their welcome to those interested in joining the honor guard and to those looking to honor the life of their beloved nurse.
The remembrance is free.
To learn how to honor a loved one who was a nurse, or to join the nurse honor guard, email nurseguard5@gmail.com.
