A new group that seeks to recognize nurses and the vital work they do recently paid a visit to a Tiverton nursing home, honoring 12 retired area nurses at the Brookdale Sakonnet Bay assisted living facility.

Dressed in white caps and red and navy capes, members of the South Coast Honor Guard presented each with a gift and said their work is among the world’s most noble, and important.

“Nursing is a calling,” local honor guard founder Darlene Tetreault said. “It’s a lifestyle, a way of living. Nurses today honor each of you and your lives as nurses.”

Tetreault, herself a retired nurse, founded the local chapter of the National Nurse Honor Guard Coalition earlier this year. She did so in part to honor a nurse co-worker of hers who was killed in a tragic accident, and said that in general, nurses are not always honored for the work they do to the extent that she believes they should be.

The Tiverton event as incredible, she said — "honoring 12 extraordinary nurses who brought much cumulative knowledge to the medical profession. Wow, to hear to their heartfelt stories was moving and inspiring."

The event was also well-received by the 12 nurses on hand. Holly Billings, who worked as a community nurse for 30 years, said she would do it all over again.

"You get to know people so closely," she said. "It felt really gratifying to be able to help so many people because in nursing, you knew what was at risk for them."

Tetrault said her non-profit chapter "is devoted to bringing love and light to everyone around us — tributes for fallen nurses, end-of-life, hospice/pilliative care, pinning ceremonies, bringing holiday cheer, and anything else" that the organization can do to let nurses know they made a difference, and are appreciated.

— With reports by Shaunna Watson