Nurses of the World: She Used to Clean the Hospital. Now, She Treats Patients in It

Editor's Note: This piece is part of a series highlighting the vital role nurses play in health care systems around the world. Look out for more stories on nurses from Partners In Health (PIH) sites in the weeks leading up to International Nurses Day on Tuesday, May 12.

For years, a young woman worked to keep Hôpital Saint-Nicholas in Haiti safe and sanitized.

She cleaned patient rooms, common areas, and operating rooms to maintain a sterile environment and stop the spread of disease-an essential but often overlooked part of patient care.

Phalone Louis was just glad to be a vital part of hospital operations, even though her family looked down on her decision to become a cleaner.

As a young girl, Louis dreamed of becoming a doctor-to be the one leaping into action when a person arrived at the hospital sick, injured, or in critical condition. But her family was too poor to afford to send her to medical school, an opportunity only a miniscule amount of the population in Haiti are afforded.

Louis grew up. She became a mother. And in her early 30s, she was drawn to Hôpital Saint-Nicholas, which is supported by Zanmi Lasante (ZL), a sister organization to Partners In Health (PIH) in Haiti, when she needed a job to support her son.

Day after day, she worked as a cleaner, feeling her old childhood dream beginning to reignite and kindle in her mind.

Hope Flickers to Life

Her dream of treating patients seemed impossible-at least at first.

Louis was a single mother and needed to keep her job to support both her and her 13-year-old child.

Still, she couldn't get the image of her wearing a nurse's uniform out of her mind. While her aspiration had shifted and evolved from when she was a child, it was still alive.

Louis wanted to go to nursing school.

She confided in her supervisors about her dream. They offered to switch her schedule to the emergency room night shift so she could attend classes during the day, but still be able to work at night to support her family.

Louis accepted.

For years, she would work all night, sleep a few hours, and go to class the next day, all while taking care of her son. Money was still tight, and on the days Louis couldn't afford her son's school lessons, she brought him with her to the hospital.

After finishing her cleaning duties, Louis would sit beside him, open his notebooks, and help him review his lessons as he completed his homework, a mirror of her own studies.

Nurse by Day, Housekeeper by Night

As Louis progressed through her degree, she started clinical rotations.

She chose to work at Hôpital Saint-Nicholas-the same clinic she was keeping clean.

At that time, she filled two roles at once: nursing intern by day, and housekeeper at night.

It was a physically and mentally exhausting time. At one point during her clinical rotations, she witnessed her peers disregard support staff, including the hospital's cleaners.

She and other members of ZL defended the essential role cleaners play in daily hospital operations. Doctors, nurses, and other colleagues consistently supported Louis and encouraged her to keep going, especially in difficult moments.

She did. After more than four years of intense sacrifice and exhaustion, Louis earned her degree in nursing science in 2025.

Now a licensed nurse, Louis is already looking ahead. She plans to pursue a specialization, either as a clinical nurse or in community health, with the ambition of strengthening the quality of care offered to the most vulnerable populations. Louis joins ZL's physicians, nurses, and community health workers who continue to show up for patients, even against a worsening backdrop of political, economic, and social crisis in Haiti.

ZL continues to provide programs across the Central Plateau and Artibonite regions. In 2025, ZL delivered over 16,000 babies in-facility and provided more than 630,000 outpatient visits.

"No matter the sacrifices, never give up on your dreams," Louis said.