Is The Good Nurse based on a true story? Here's everything we know

The Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne starrer The Good Nurse was released back in 2022. Helmed by Tobias Lindholm, the film follows the plot of a nurse named Amy Loughren, who uncovers the unsettling dark truth about her seemingly nice co-worker Charles Cullen, as he commits a series of murders at the hospital.

But is this chilling story based on a true event? The answer is YES. The plot of this film is derived from Charles Graeber's 2013 book 'The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder'. In the book, the writer records the actual incident of a nurse named Charles Cullen, who is a covert serial killer.

Let us find out more about the actual story behind The Good Nurse.

The true story behind The Good Nurse, explored

The Good Nurse is derived from an actual case of serial murders committed by a nurse named Charles Cullen. He had a long career of working as a nurse for 16 years, and within those years, he killed a total number of 29 patients. In his lifetime, it is suspected that he had killed up to 400 people.

Since 1988, Charles has been killing people while working as a nurse in different hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Since he had knowledge of medicines, he would kill ailing patients by overdosing them with components like digoxin, epinephrine and insulin through their IV tubes. In the course of his life, he himself suffered from mental health issues as well.

However, in 2003, he was convicted by the police while he was working at the Somerset Medical Center. The officials started suspecting some foul play, looking at the unexpected deaths in the hospital. They soon found out the truth that Charles was the one committing the murders. The film, The Good Nurse, brings Amy Loughren to the center of the story. She is a single mother and Charles's colleague, and she finds Charles to be helpful towards her.

But when strange cases arise in the hospital, patients who are not severely ill still die under mysterious circumstances, Loughren lays her suspicion on Charles based on the reports of the patients and soon the hospital informs the police. Loughren joins to help the police investigate the matter, and since she is Charles's friend, they make use of it.

Loughren and Charles meet at a diner, where Loughren secretly taps the conversation through a wire. After that, Charles is ultimately convicted by the police. But why did Charles commit these gruesome murders? Well, he explained that his reason behind the murders was to grant 'freedom' to the suffering patients. He explained that to be an act of 'saving' them by discontinuing suffering under the medical system's degrading treatment of patients.

But the irony is, he has not always killed patients who are on the verge of death. He has also killed the ones who were not at any risk of losing their lives. So his claim that he intended to free them does not match up with his actions.

The Good Nurse looks into the grave issue of breach of ethics and the systemic issues embedded within the healthcare system. There have been thousands of cases in history where the medical system, which is supposed to be our safest space, sometimes does not end up being one.

Even though we have a number of resilient and competent healthcare providers who relentlessly work day and night to save our lives, there are also deeply rooted, corrupt systemic issues within the caregiving community that have caused people pain, trauma and injustice.

Charles Cullen was found guilty and was given the sentence of life in prison.

The Good Nurse is available to stream on Netflix.