Above: Members of the CNY Syracuse Nurses Honor Guard share information at an event. Pictured second from left is Barb Lyke, third from right is Claudia Hurne, second from right is Elaine Lostumbo and far-right is Faith Terry.
By Elizabeth Landry
Staff writer
“I believe it is often the Holy Spirit that draws nurses to the Honor Guard,” said Elaine Lostumbo, RN, a retired nurse of 61 years. She went on to share the occasion when she first encountered the Central New York Syracuse Nurses Honor Guard, the local chapter of the National Nurses Honor Guard Coalition.
“I first saw them at a nurse friend’s wake,” she said. “I was awed by what was happening and how professionally they were dressed. I immediately absorbed the meaningful and caring words spoken, and prayed and thought, ‘Wow, that’s exactly the kind of nurse that my friend Mary (the deceased) was.’”
Lostumbo said that after the wake, she met with Faith Terry, RNC-OB, a nurse of 53 years and the founder of the Central New York chapter, and asked about what they do.
“She gave me an information packet, but I was a bit reluctant because of [my] handicap and need for a walker to get around, so I asked to be a Prayer Warrior at home. I stayed in that position for a while and then finally took the step to become active [in the group] and never regretted it,” shared Lostumbo.
The motto of the Nurses Honor Guard is “No Nurse is Forgotten.” The entirely volunteer group offers a tribute ceremony for deceased nurses (including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse practitioners) to help honor their careers and provide support for grieving loved ones. Tributes have been held in various settings, including Catholic churches before a funeral Mass, at Protestant and non-denominational Christian churches, and funeral homes.
During the service, which is provided completely free of charge, the Guard wear traditional white uniforms, including a cap, gloves, and cape. They recite “A Nurse’s Prayer,” present a ceramic Florence Nightingale lamp to the family of the deceased, and place a white rose near the casket or urn, which symbolizes the nurse’s devotion to his or her profession. If a nurse is nearing the end of life and receiving hospice care, the Guard can also provide a living tribute at the family’s request.
Lostumbo explained that in addition to the words spoken during the tribute and the symbolic presentation of the lamp and the rose, the Guard is also present to minister to the family in other ways.
“If we see a family member crying on our way out after the tribute, an Honor Guard nurse will stop and take their hand or try to comfort them and tell them we will pray for them and their loved one,” said Lostumbo.
‘God, please open up doors’
In early 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Terry first encountered the Nurses Honor Guard through a video on Facebook. By November of that year, she had decided to start forming a local chapter. At the time, there was only one other chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard in New York State, located in the Plattsburgh area, and it had gone dormant after the death of their leader. Terry started reaching out to chapters in other states, asking for their brochures and tribute plans, which she used as a guide to create her own. Then, she shared information about the new chapter with local funeral homes and hospitals, asking fellow nurses to join and spread the word about their services.
“My prayer was, ‘God, please open up doors,’” Terry said.
And God certainly delivered for Terry and the rest of the group. They performed their first tribute in April 2022 and, since that time, have done approximately 300 tributes for nurses who have died. The CNY Syracuse Nurses Honor Guard now includes over 70 nurses and covers Onondaga County and the four surrounding counties. In addition, the Guard has spread and grown throughout New York State, thanks to the efforts of Terry and her volunteer colleagues. There are now 23 other active chapters in the state, covering 59 of the 62 counties. Additionally, every state in the country has at least one chapter, totalling about 250 chapters nationwide.
Terry said that during the pandemic, nurses took a beating. For her, the Nurses Honor Guard is a way to “give dignity back to our nursing profession.
“Our role [as nurses] is to help people heal, and through the tributes, our role has changed,” she continued. “Now, we’re helping the families with their healing process after the loss of their loved one.”
A sisterhood of support
Clauda Hurne, RN and Barb Lyke, RN have been nurses for 47 years and 37 years, respectively, and have been leaders in the local chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard since the beginning in the Spring of 2022. Lyke, who serves as the tribute coordinator, shared that she felt called to join when she first learned that the group was being formed.
“When I found out about it, it was something I had to do… There was just a voice inside me, and it said, ‘You have to do this.’ And looking back, I think it was God’s voice,” said Lyke. She also shared how being part of the Nurses Honor Guard has become an extension of her nursing career during retirement. “I’m now helping people in a different stage of nursing. I think if you read the words of our tribute, it hits the core of [being a nurse]. It explains it so well. And to hear that out loud for people and be acknowledged for it, I think just helps so much.”
Looking back over the many tributes she’s helped coordinate, she said families have been so grateful to them for their ministry. ”Some of the families have said it really helped them put closure on things,” said Lyke. “Others have said it gave them some support. Just helping the families like that, ministering to them through this, is just a wonderful thing.”
Hurne, the group’s secretary and informal chaplain, shared that being present for families grieving their lost loved ones has been a highlight for her. ”One of my greatest joys is when I’m asked to pray for the family, and that we would be a help and a comfort and a blessing to the family,” she said.
Not only do Honor Guard nurses offer support for the families of deceased nurses, they also support and care for each other.
”We have become quite a sisterhood. We call each other ‘Nurse Honor Guard sisters,’” said Hurne. “I have found that what we’re doing not only benefits the families of the deceased we serve, but it also benefits fellow nurses in our chapter.” They’ve supported nurses in the group through cancer and other illnesses, supporting each other with prayers, cards and visits. “I can’t tell you – there’s just something different about this group,” Hurne added.
Although they call each other “sisters,” male nurses are also welcomed in the Honor Guard. The CNY Syracuse chapter currently includes one male nurse, and Terry shared a story about a phone call she received from a nurse named Dean from Bath, NY. He had reached out saying a dear nurse friend had just passed away, and was interested in doing a tribute, but it was too far away for Terry’s chapter. She sent him the information needed to organize the tribute himself.
“He called me back later and said, ‘Faith, I’ve already ordered my uniform. I’ve ordered the lamp. I’ve ordered the rose. We’re going to do this. I already have eight members.’ The next day he called me. ‘I have 15 members now,’ [he said]. Now he’s a thriving chapter leader in that region that covers Bath and down through the southern part of New York State.”
Honoring those who served
Members of the CNY Syracuse chapter have spread the word about their organization through attending events at Colleges of Nursing, nursing conferences, and parades. Terry shared that she has compiled binders and notebooks of prayer cards, programs and thank-you notes related to the tributes over the years, and she displays them during tabling events. The Nurses Honor Guard has also become involved with Honor Flights for veterans. She said that nurses and veterans share a special connection.
“We are attending to our veterans, and we represent the nurses who have been in any of the wars across the nation,” Terry said. “I think one of our biggest things right now is honoring our veterans and thanking them.”
No matter the capacity in which the nurses in the CNY Syracuse Nurses Honor Guard are serving – whether it’s honoring a deceased nurse, comforting grieving family members, or meeting a veteran on an Honor Flight – they are serving with volunteer hearts.
“We’re all volunteers,” said Hurne. “We do it because God has called us to do it and because we love it.”
As the CNY Syracuse Nurses Honor Guard continues on in their ministry of honoring nurses who have passed on and supporting their loved ones, they are always looking for additional nurses to join in their efforts. Active, retired and student nurses are welcomed to join. Donations are also accepted, which help cover the cost of supplies used in tribute ceremonies. For more information about joining or to request a tribute for a deceased or near end-of-life nurse, reach out to Faith Terry at 315-243-7537 or email [email protected].
