The story is legendary, but likely based on a real person. Historians have identified a nurse named (surname unknown) who worked at Hospital Juárez around 1908–1912. She was known for her severe demeanor and impeccably ironed uniform. No records confirm a tragic love affair or a supernatural disappearance. The legend grew through oral tradition, later amplified by movies, TV shows, and books.
What is the legend?
Soon after, patients and staff began reporting a ghostly figure in a perfectly ironed uniform. Unlike the strict living nurse, this apparition appears only to critically ill patients left alone by negligent staff. She gently cleans them, gives them medicine, and watches over them until a doctor arrives. Patients who see her always recover. La Planchada has become a symbol of selfless, compassionate care—a ghost who corrects the failures of the living. la leyenda de la planchada pdf