The launch of International Nurses Week gave Zanmi Lasante the opportunity to ask an important question for the Haitian healthcare system: what happens to the quality of care when those who work closest to patients actually have the means to act?
This question guided the exchanges at the annual nursing conference, organized around the global theme: “Our nurses. Our future. Nurses’ power to act saves lives.” It ties in directly with the reality of hospitals, health centers and community programs in Haiti, where teams have to provide care in an environment marked by resource constraints, travel difficulties, insecurity, the overloading of certain structures and the growing needs of patients.
In this setting, the role of nurses goes far beyond the execution of prescriptions. It begins with clinical observation, welcoming the patient, rigorously applying protocols and quickly recognizing what requires special attention. A change in breathing, an increase in pain, a persistent fever, a family who doesn’t understand instructions or a patient at risk of interrupting treatment can alter an entire care pathway.
This daily attention directly influences patient safety. It helps to alert at the right time, avoid delays, better orient families and support continuity of care. It also gives teams precise knowledge of what’s working in services, what’s blocking, and what needs to be improved to better meet patients’ needs.
The discussions held during the conference highlighted several dimensions of this role: leadership, quality of care, skills development, participation in decision-making and crisis response. These themes are not theoretical. They describe concrete responsibilities that shape the day-to-day running of departments.
Nursing leadership often manifests itself in very practical gestures. An experienced professional accompanies a new colleague, corrects a procedure, reminds them of a protocol, identifies a risk, organizes work during a difficult shift or suggests an improvement in the patient circuit. These actions may seem discreet, but they influence the quality of the entire department.
The quality of care also depends on this ability to transform standards into actual practices. A protocol protects the patient when it is understood, applied and followed rigorously. A monitoring chart becomes useful when important information is correctly noted. A referral to another service really helps the patient when the next step is clearly explained.
Skills development therefore remains indispensable. Health needs are evolving rapidly in Haiti. Services receive patients with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, malnourished children, people living with HIV or tuberculosis, patients in emergency situations and families facing economic or logistical obstacles. Ongoing training, clinical coaching and peer-to-peer exchanges help to improve practices and strengthen clinical judgment.
This dimension is particularly important in community work. Many patients live far from hospitals. Some consult us late. Others interrupt their follow-up for lack of means, information or transport. In these situations, a clear explanation can help a family recognize the signs of danger in a child. Repeated patient advice can help a hypertensive or diabetic patient to better understand his or her treatment. A well-made referral can avoid a delay in treatment.
The power to act then takes on a very concrete form: better assessment, better explanation, better follow-up, better referral and better anticipation. It also requires appropriate conditions. Teams alone cannot compensate for the system’s weaknesses. Access to equipment, training, supervision, functional care spaces and real participation in decision-making have a direct impact on patient outcomes. A better-trained professional is quicker to spot a complication. A well-supervised team applies protocols more regularly. A person who is listened to in his or her department can point out a difficulty before it becomes a more serious problem.
The closure of the Mirebalais University Hospital was a reminder of the importance of this ability to adapt. Patients had to be referred to other sites. Services had to absorb new demands. Care paths were reorganized. In this period, nursing teams contributed to reception, continuity of treatment, patient orientation and adjustment of daily work.
The conference provided a space to name these responsibilities with greater clarity. It brought together professionals from several network structures and linked their field experience to institutional priorities: better supporting nursing leadership, strengthening skills, improving working conditions and giving their voice greater weight in decisions affecting care.
This moment matters because it transforms an annual recognition into a substantive discussion on service organization. It is a reminder that nursing care is more than just an indispensable presence with patients. It represents an expertise, an analytical capacity and a coordinating force that must be integrated into the way services are built, improved and respond to crises.
Strengthening nurses’ power to act therefore means investing in what directly improves care: training, supervision, equipment, working conditions, listening to teams and participation in decision-making. This approach supports the quality of services, patient safety and continuity of care in the communities that depend on the network.
Nurses’ power to act saves lives when they are backed by real resources, recognized expertise and an active place in the organization of care.
Zanmi Lasante nurses contribute directly to the quality of care, patient safety and continuity of services in Haiti. Your support helps strengthen the training, supervision and services on which the most vulnerable communities depend.