What We Do

Our Services

We honor nurses in two meaningful ways: while they are still with us and
at the end of their lives. Both tributes are performed by volunteer nurses
who generously give their time to honor their fellow nurses. There is never
a cost to the family.

Honor the Living

Honoring nurses while they can hear it

Not every tribute belongs at the graveside. We are just as honored to stand beside a nurse who is still with us and give them the recognition they deserve while they can hear our words and feel our gratitude.

In February, 2022, the East Tennessee Honor Guard implemented the
Living Tribute Service to recognize nurses who are no longer able to
practice due to health-related conditions, as well as nurses who have had an exemplary and dedicated career.
Members of the Honor Guard visit the nurses’s home or another location shone by the family and conduct this meaningful tribute. During the ceremony, the nurse is presented with a white rose, and a Caring Hearts pin in recognition of their years of dedication to nursing. An embroidered Honor Guard blanket is placed over the nurse, while the light of the Nightingale Lamp shines throughout the ceremony, symbolizing the compassion, knowledge and commitment that have defined their nursing career.

We are honored to recognize nurse practitioners, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses through this special tribute.

The Living tribute service is provided at no cost to the nurse or family.
When the time comes, The Nightingale Final Tribute may also be
performed at the nurse’s funeral or memorial service, allowing us to honor their life and legacy once again.

See the Living Tributes we have performed Ask about Honor the Living

Honor guard members in white uniforms and capes gathered at the bedside of Carolyn Smith, RN, during her Living Tribute on 1 December 2025.

Honor guard members in uniform gathered around Marge Bryant, RN, seated in the centre, during her Living Tribute on 8 August 2025.

Final Tribute

The Final Tribute ceremony

The Nurse Honor Guard provides a meaningful tribute to honor the life, service and dedication of nurses who have devoted themselves to caring for others.

For funeral or memorial services, members of the Honor Guard wear traditional WWII nursing attire: white uniforms, cap, and cape and gloves. The ceremony includes “standing guard” over the nurse during visitation, (if the family requests) symbolizing respect for the dedicated years of service. During the service, all. Purses present are asked to stand for the Nurses Prayer. After they are seated, a tribute is read recognizing their career as a nurse, followed by the Final Call, which formally releases them from their earthly nursing duties. The family is then presented with a special honor gift: a Nightingale lamp displayed in a handmade box.

As part of the tribute, the Honor Guard:

1
The Florence Nightingale Lamp
We present the Nightingale lamp to the family to symbolize the nurse's unwavering commitment to compassionate care.
2
A White Rose
We present a white rose to the family in recognition of the nurse's dedication to the nursing profession.
3
The Final Call to Service
We perform the Final Call to Service, a moving ceremony that acknowledges the completion of a nurse's earthly duties.
4
A Nurse's Prayer
We recite A Nurse's Prayer as a final expression of gratitude and remembrance.

Through these traditions we celebrate a nurse's legacy of service, compassion and healing, while offering comfort and honor to family, friends and colleagues.

Infographic titled 'Why We Present a Florence Nightingale Lamp at East TN Nurse Honor Guard Ceremonies', showing a white ceramic Nightingale lamp with a lit candle on a wooden base beside white roses. It explains that the lamp is a timeless symbol of nursing, hope and healing, presented as a tribute to the life, legacy and light of our beloved nurses. It gives four reasons: a symbol of light in the darkness, as Florence Nightingale carried a lamp on her rounds to bring comfort and care to those in their darkest hours; a legacy of compassion and courage that continues to inspire generations of caregivers; a tribute to a nurse's life of service, honoring their commitment, kindness and the impact they made on others; and a light that continues to shine in the lives they touched. It closes, 'Just as Florence Nightingale brought light and hope to her patients, our honored nurses illuminated the lives of so many. This lamp is our way of saying thank you and farewell. We are proud to honor their memory, their calling, and the light that will never go out.'

Infographic headed 'East Tennessee Nurse Honor Guard - Did You Know?', showing a navy and red cape, a white rose and a lit white Nightingale lamp on a wooden box whose plaque reads 'In the spirit of Florence Nightingale - a symbol of compassion, care and dedication'. It explains that the East TN Nurse Honor Guard is made up of nurses who have dedicated their lives to the calling of nursing and who now volunteer their time to honor fellow nurses, and that there is something incredibly meaningful about nurses honoring nurses. It describes two kinds of tribute. Living Tributes: we have the privilege of honoring nurses while they are still with us, recognizing their years of service and the lives they have touched. Memorial Tributes: we stand beside families as we honor a nurse one final time, recognizing a lifetime of compassion, service and dedication. It adds that whether celebrating a nurse's journey in life or honoring their legacy after they have passed, our mission remains the same: to honor those who have spent their lives caring for others. It closes, 'Nurses honoring nurses. One tribute. One legacy. One life of service at a time. Thank you to every nurse for a lifetime of care.'

Infographic titled Why We Present a White Rose, explaining that the white rose symbolizes purity, peace, reverence and remembrance, and closing with the words once a nurse, always a nurse.

Infographic titled 'Why the East Tennessee Nurse Honor Guard is Dressed in All White Uniforms', showing a nurse in a white uniform and banded cap holding a white rose behind her back. It gives four reasons: purity and compassion; honoring our heritage, white being the traditional color of nursing rooted in the legacy of Florence Nightingale; respect and peace for colleagues, their families and the lives they touched; and unity and service. It closes, 'Our white uniforms are a symbol of our calling, our commitment, and our promise to honor with dignity. Honoring Nurses. Honoring Life. Honoring Legacy.'

Infographic titled 'Why We Wear White Gloves - A Symbol of Honor. A Tradition of Respect.', showing a nurse in a white uniform and navy-and-red cape with gloved hands folded, holding a white rose. It gives three reasons: a symbol of purity and respect, white representing purity of heart, noble intentions and the selfless care that defines nursing; honoring our commitment, the gloves reminding us of the sacred trust placed in nurses and our promise to serve with dignity and compassion; and a mark of unity, wearing white gloves uniting us as one, standing together to honor those who have served and those we remember. It closes with the East Tennessee Nurse Honor Guard name and lamp emblem.

Infographic titled 'Why We Wear the Nursing Cap & Pin at East TN Nurse Honor Guard Ceremonies', showing a white nursing cap with a black band resting on navy fabric beside a gold and white pin bearing a Nightingale lamp, a laurel wreath and the word NURSE. It gives three reasons. A tradition of honor: the nursing cap is a timeless symbol of the nursing profession, representing the knowledge, compassion and dedication nurses bring to their calling. A mark of service: the pin we wear signifies our commitment to uphold the highest standards of nursing and to honor those who have served before us. A symbol of unity: worn together, the cap and pin reflect our unity as nurses and our shared promise to honor, respect and remember with dignity and pride. It closes with the East Tennessee Nurse Honor Guard name and lamp emblem and the words 'Honoring our past. Serving with pride. Remembering with heart.'

Infographic titled 'Why Do Nurse Honor Guard Nurses Wear Pearl Earrings?', showing a nurse in a white banded cap and a navy-and-red cape, seen from behind and to the side, wearing a pearl earring, with a lit white Nightingale lamp, a white rose and a strand of pearls resting beside her. It gives four reasons. A tradition of grace and dignity: pearls have long been associated with grace, dignity, wisdom and timeless beauty, qualities that reflect the spirit of the nursing profession. A symbol of respect: their simple, classic elegance complements our ceremonial uniform and helps maintain the respectful, uniform appearance we strive for in our tributes. Honoring our heritage: worn as part of our uniform, pearl earrings connect us to the rich history and traditions of nursing and to the legacy of those we honor. A small detail, a big meaning: for us, wearing pearls is more than an accessory, it is another expression of the reverence with which we honor nurses who dedicated their lives to caring for others. It closes with the East Tennessee Nurse Honor Guard name and lamp emblem and the words 'Once a nurse, always a nurse. We remember. We honor. We carry the light forward.'

There is no charge for the service.

Our members serve entirely as volunteers, and the East Tennessee Nurse
Honor Guard is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Families are
never invoiced or charged for our services, including travel expenses.

Donations are greatly appreciated and are our primary source of funding.
Your support helps us continue providing these meaningful tributes and
honoring our fellow nurses with the dignity and respect they deserve.

What to Expect

Typically, five to 15 Nurse Honor Guard members attend a final tribute. The
ceremony itself takes approximately 5-7 minutes and is usually performed
at the beginning of the memorial service. However, the timing and
placement of the tribute are always dependent on the family’s wishes and
the pastor or oﬃciant leading the service. In some cases, we perform the
tribute at the conclusion of the service.

For Graveside services, we may lead the procession to the graveside with
the casket following behind, or we may march in together and perform the
final tribute once we arrive. Your goal is always to honor the nurse in a way
that is respectful, meaningful, and appropriate for the family and the
service. We are also available to “stand guard” by the casket during the
visitation or service, if requested by the family.

Part of Every Tribute

A Nurse's Prayer

We open the Final Tribute by reciting A Nurse's Prayer, as a last expression of gratitude and remembrance.

It is the same prayer printed in our brochure, and families are welcome to keep a copy.

A Nurse's Prayer

Give me strength and wisdom,

When others need my touch;

A soothing word to speak to them,

Their hearts yearn for so much.

Give me joy and laughter,

To lift a weary soul;

Pour in me compassion,

To make the broken whole.

Give me gentle, healing hands,

For those left in my care;

A blessing to those who need me,

This is a Nurse's prayer.

Common Questions

Questions families and funeral directors ask

How much notice do you need?: IF possible, please allow AT LEAST 48 hours notice before you need a service. In the meantime, please call as soon as you know — we will always try to staff a service, even on short notice.
Does the nurse have to have been an RN?: No. We are honored to provide tribute services for Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
Do you travel outside your counties?: We serve Anderson, Blount, Cocke, Grainger, Hancock, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union counties. If a service is requested outside our coverage area, please still contact us — several independent Nurse Honor Guard chapters serve other parts of Tennessee and we are happy to help you find the right one.
What if the service is at a funeral home rather than graveside?: That is very common and it is no problem. Our members attend funeral and memorial services as well as graveside services, and we stand vigil or provide a ceremonial presence wherever the family asks.
Is there a cost?: No. There is never a charge to the family for any service we provide.
Who do we call?: Either Melanie Pfennigwerth, RN at 865.310.6183 or Christina Trentham, LPN, CRCFA, CDP at 865.293.6563. Please leave a voicemail and you will be contacted within 24 hours.

For Families and Funeral Directors

Request a Final Tribute

Call us and we will take it from here. We coordinate directly with your funeral home, and there is never a charge to the family.

Melanie Pfennigwerth, RN

865.310.6183

Christina Trentham, LPN, CRCFA, CDP

865.293.6563

Request a Final Tribute Email Us