The Nurse Honor Guard is a distinguished group of volunteer nurses devoted to honoring the lives, service and legacies of nurses. The Chico Area Nurse Honor Guard offers a ceremonial tribute to fellow nurses who have passed at their funeral, memorial or graveside service.
If you would like to volunteer in the Chico area Nurse Honor Guard, please email us at info@nhgchico.org
To honor nurses that have dedicated their lives to caring for others.
The Chico Area Nurse Honor Guard offers a ceremonial tribute to fellow nurses who have passed at their funeral, memorial or graveside service.
We offer services throughout Butte, Tehama and Glenn counties in Northern California.
The Nightingale Tribute begins with a brief reflection on the nurse’s life, career, and dedication to the profession. Following the tribute reading, white roses are placed in honor of the nurse’s compassion, service, and commitment to caring for others.
The ceremony typically lasts five to ten minutes and may be incorporated into any memorial or funeral service in a manner that respectfully honors the traditions, customs, and faith of the individual and their family.
The Nurse Honor Guard movement began in 2003 through the Kansas State Nurses Association with the vision of honoring nurses for their lifelong dedication and service to the profession. The purpose was to provide ceremonial recognition at the end of a nurse’s life, much like the honors traditionally given to military personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters for their service and sacrifice.
For many years, this type of tribute was rarely available within the nursing profession. As awareness grew through nursing conferences and professional gatherings, small honor guard groups slowly began forming across the country.
In 2011, a nurse attending a conference in Detroit brought the concept back to her Professional Practice group in Lansing. There, Julia Godby Murray recognized the importance of expanding the tradition nationwide. Through dedication, networking, and the power of social media, she helped connect and support developing chapters throughout the United States.
By 2023, more than 250 local Nurse Honor Guard chapters had been established, with new groups continuing to form as communities seek meaningful ways to honor nurses for their compassion, commitment, and years of faithful service.
The services the Nurse Honor Guard provides helps families heal after the loss of their loved one. Since nurses are natural healers, the Nurse Honor Guard adds another opportunity to continue doing what they love to do and that is to heal. They sacrifice time away from their families, friends, and personal lives to make sure your family never grieves alone. By volunteerting in the honor guard, nurses are able to embrace the dignity and respect they have for their profession.
