A final tribute

FINDLAY — Nurses care for others in life. In death, they receive a final salute by the Nurses Honor Guard. The Flag City Nurses Honor Guard was established last April to recognize and honor everyday heroes who have dedicated their lives to the nursing profession. To date, they have done five ceremonies. "We're doing this because we feel called to do it. It's in our hearts to do it and we just want to honor our comrades who have devoted their whole lives to helping others," said member Claire Gonyer. An RN at Blanchard Valley Health System, Gonyer was inspired to help start the new chapter after attending the funeral of a friend's mother. "There was like five or seven of these old-timey looking nurses in the World War II getup sitting in the pew at the front of the church. And I am like, 'that is so cool. I wonder what they're doing here. I wonder what they're going to do,'" she recalled. During the service, the nurses did a special tribute. "I'm bawling, everyone is just bawling. It's so touching. It's really moving," Gonyer said. She later asked about the service and learned that the women were from the Marion chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard. "I was like, 'I've never heard of this before,'" she said. "I'm like, 'I have to know about this so I can do it for my people when it's time.'" They suggested she look for a nearby chapter, but the closest she could find was based in Toledo. So she decided that Findlay needed to start its own. "I wanted to be able to join a chapter, but when God puts something on your heart, you do what you have to do," she said. "I'm glad to do it. I'm honored to do it. It's so special to be able to provide it for people." Findlay chapter forms Gonyer and three other nurses founded the Flag City chapter. It has since grown to six active members who are currently looking for more, she said. The chapter serves a 30-mile radius around Findlay. "But honestly, if there was a personal connection, we would travel wherever. We traveled to Columbus to do one for my family," said Gonyer. Her sister-in-law's father had been a nurse at Riverside Hospital for 37 years and helped with Kidney Camp for children who are on dialysis. "We showed up for him and we did his service," she said. "It was an honor to do that for him because you would think there are chapters everywhere." The idea of a Nurses Honor Guard was started by the Kansas State Nurses Association and a group of hospital nurses in Detroit in 2003. The initial concept gradually developed into the creation of a National Nurses Honor Guard Coalition, founded by Julia Godby Murray in Michigan in 2011. There are now Nurses Honor Guard chapters across the United States. The first National Nurse Honor Guard Coalition conference was held in May with 450 nurses from across the nation attending, Gonyer said. "Nursing really is, yeah, it's a profession, but it really is a way of life and something you dedicate a lot of yourself to," she said. "It doesn't leave you when you go home. Sometimes you wish it did." The ceremony Honor guard members attend wearing their white uniforms, starched caps and capes, and carrying a lit lamp that symbolizes the one carried by nurses who tended to soldiers back in the 1800s. They first ask if there are other nurses present. They can come up and present a flower, Gonyer said. "And then we do a last call, kind of like police officers and firefighters will do a last call to duty. We do the same thing at the end," she said. They call the deceased nurse's name and ask them to report for duty. A chime is rung after the nurse's name is called three times. With no response, they call the name and say, "We officially release you from your nursing duties, your nursing colleagues will take if from here." "We blow out the candle and we give it to a loved one. And it's really sweet," she said. The tribute takes less than 15 minutes, she noted. The ceremony is for any nurse — an RN, LPN or nurse practitioner, working or retired — and can be performed at the visitation or wake, funeral, graveside or memorial service. The Nurses Honor Guard can personalize the service to the family's request. This can include guarding the casket during the service, accompanying the placement of the casket into the hearse, and reading the nursing prayer or the Nightingale Tribute. Gonyer said a living tribute is also available for someone whose passing is eminent or in the case where they are donating organs. There are no fees for the service. Donations are accepted to help pay for flowers, lamps and printing costs of pamphlets. They are working on becoming a 501c3 nonprofit, she said. Anyone interested in volunteering must be an RN or LPN who is active or retired. For more information, contact Gonyer at 419-308-1885 or Claire86.gonyer@gmail.com; or Cheryl Rhoad at 419-615-0224 or at FCNHG2023@yahoo.com.