On behalf of the Southern Maine Nurse Honor Guard, I would like to share information about this remarkable group and the meaningful work it does. I serve as the leader for Downeast District 5, a new district within the chapter, known by our call sign, “The Puffins.” Our district serves communities across Downeast and Midcoast Maine, including Bangor, Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor, Blue Hill, Stonington, Bucksport, Belfast, Rockport, and surrounding towns.
The Southern Maine Nurse Honor Guard is a chapter of nurses dedicated to honoring the lives and service of nurses who have passed away. Our mission is to pay tribute to nurses who devoted their lives to the nursing profession and supported their fellow nurses. The Honor Guard’s purpose is also to provide comfort, support, and empathy to the family and friends of our fallen nurse colleagues. Our ceremonies include the traditional Florence Nightingale Tribute, the reading of a poem, and the final roll call to symbolically release the nurse from duty. We also offer living tributes in hospice or nursing home settings, celebrating the impact nurses have made on patients, families, and colleagues.
Our goal is to ensure that every nurse is honored with dignity, respect, and gratitude for their service to humanity. Readers interested in requesting services, learning more, or joining our chapter as nurse volunteers may contact us by email at southernmainenursehonorguard@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook.
Deborah Block
Vice president
Chief nursing officer
MDI Hospital
Ellsworth