At French Funerals & Cremations, we are proud to partner with the New Mexico Nurses Honor Guard to pay tribute to nurses who have dedicated their lives to serving others. Just as military tributes honor veterans, the Nurses Honor Guard ensures that nurses are honored for their dedication and service at their funeral or memorial service. This tradition is especially meaningful in recognizing nurses' selfless commitment to healing and caring for the community.

The New Mexico Nurses Honor Guard, founded in 2022, is a non-profit organization composed of active and retired nurses who perform the Nightingale Tribute. This ceremonial service, much like a military tribute, is brief but profound, officially releasing nurses from their nursing duties.

The Nurses Honor Guard serves the Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe areas. Their services are free to the families they honor, as their mission is purely to celebrate the lives of their colleagues in the nursing profession. This personal and touching tribute is a way to express deep gratitude for a life lived in the service of others.

Dressed in traditional white uniforms, caps, and capes, the members of the Nurses Honor Guard perform a moving five-minute ceremony. This includes reciting the Nightingale Tribute, laying a white rose beside the casket or urn, and ringing a bell after the nurse’s name is called three times in a roll call. A lit Nightingale lamp, symbolizing the nurse’s life and service, is presented to the family after being ceremonially extinguished. It is a powerful way to honor the legacy of a loved one who has spent their life caring for others.

Planning a meaningful celebration of life service can be a beautiful way to honor your loved one’s legacy. By incorporating the New Mexico Nurses Honor Guard, you are ensuring their contributions to the community will never be forgotten. Whether through cremation or traditional burial, French Funerals & Cremations is here to assist you in creating a ceremony that reflects the life, service, and dedication of the nurse you are honoring.

These tributes can also be arranged for nurses in hospice care through a living tribute, celebrating their service while they are still with us.