The Real Story Behind “The Good Nurse,” a Netflix Original.
Here is a look at the real-life events that served as the inspiration for the Netflix film, including the murders that Charles Cullen committed and how Amy Loughren helped put him behind prison.
There are certain heroes who do not wear capes.
When nurse Amy Loughren found out that one of her coworkers and an old friend had been responsible for the deaths of dozens of patients over the course of sixteen years, she took it upon herself to help put an end to the killing spree that he had been on.
The events chronicled in The Good Nurse are both courageous and terrifying. Amy Loughren was able to put an end to the killing spree of her colleague and former friend.
Charles Cullen, the perpetrator of a string of heinous acts that were performed throughout the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, serves as the primary focus of the narrative.
In the movie, which is based on the book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber and was released in 2014, Jessica Chastain plays the role of Loughren, Eddie Redmayne plays the role of Cullen, Nnamdi Asomugha plays the role of Detective Danny Baldwin, and Noah Emmerich plays the role of Det. Tim Braun.
According to what Loughren shared with People, “seeing the movie gave me permission to be proud of myself.” “I came dressed as a mother. I was there in the guise of a nurse. I came across as a friendly face. Because of our relationship, Charlie has stopped killing people, which is the only reason that this is true.”
Here is all there is to know about the real-life events that The Good Nurse seeks to convey, including the atrocities that Cullen committed and how Loughren helped put him behind prison.
Watch the Tension-Packed Trailer for the Upcoming Medical Thriller, “The Good Nurse,” Starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne.
Who precisely is this Amy Loughren?
The Real-Life Account of a Caring Nurse Charles Cullen and Amy Loughren were married.
Loughren worked as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Somerset Hospital in New Jersey up until 2003. She left her position in 2003. In addition to that, she worked as a nurse in emergency and trauma care. According to her website, during those years the woman who was raising two children by herself portrayed herself as an overworked and fatigued “lazy Buddhist.”
It wasn’t until the year 2003 that she was contacted by two investigators who said that one of her coworkers could be one of the most prolific serial murderers in the history of the United States. Loughren went on a spiritual quest after she assisted in the investigation that led to the identification of the killer.
Her goal was to find a way to deal with the trauma that she had experienced as a direct result of her unsettling experience.
She confided in spiritual gurus, energy healers, visionaries, and Buddhas from both the ancient world and the current day in an effort to get insight into how she could have been close with someone who had such a negative outlook on life.
She was able to uncover the answers to the questions that she had been asking, and she is now helping other people discover deeper connections inside themselves.
Loughren is a Reiki Master, a hypnotherapist, an NLP practitioner, a meditation instructor, a DreamSculptor practitioner, a reconnective healer, an integrative energy healer, a past life regressionist, a crystal language reader, and a medical intuitive with over 30 years of experience, as stated on her website.
“The Good Nurse” Is the True Story of How Nurse Amy Loughren Assisted in Putting Her Colleague, a Serial Killer, Behind Bars: “Nurses Are Badass”
Who precisely is this Charles Cullen?
Cullen was born on February 22, 1960, and he spent his childhood in the city of West Orange in the state of New Jersey. According to a story in The New York Times, after the passing of both of his parents, he struggled with melancholy and made many attempts to take his own life.
According to “The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder,” he had a brief stint in the military prior to becoming a nurse. During this time, he was stationed in the Navy.
After receiving his medical release in 1984, he went on to become a student at the nursing school that was offered at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey. There, he was honored with the position of president of his class.
After receiving his diploma in 1986, he was able to get a position at the burn unit of Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. It was at this facility that he committed his first murder.
After waiting another year, he wed Adrianne Baum, and the couple went on to have two kids together. According to official court papers acquired by The Morning Call, the couple finally separated in the year 1993 after being together for a long time.
According to the findings of the Warren County Family Court, she also brought charges of domestic violence against him and requested a restraining order against him.
Which illegal acts did Charles Cullen engage in?
The Real-Life Account of a Caring Nurse Charles Cullen and Amy Loughren were married.
Curren worked as a nurse in hospitals located all over the state of New Jersey and in the state of Pennsylvania. He started his murderous rampage in 1987 at Somerset Medical Center, the first hospital where he was employed as a nurse. He murdered victims by infusing deadly amounts of insulin and cardiac medicines into the IV bags that were connected to their veins.
According to NJ.com, he was fired from or forced to leave at least six different facilities; however, he continued to move around from hospital to hospital, visiting places like Warren Hospital, Hunterdon Medical Center, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and St. Luke’s.
“Five hospitals knew he was hurting patients and still gave him a neutral reference, sending him on to continue his killing spree,” Loughren wrote on her website. “Five hospitals knew he was hurting patients and still gave him a neutral reference.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to keep current on the best that PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to engaging human-interest stories. PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter is available here.
How did Amy Loughren find out about the wrongdoings committed by Charles Cullen?
After the deaths of many patients in 2003, Detectives Danny Baldwin and Tim Braun went to Somerset Medical Center to check anomalous test data and find out what caused the fatalities. Loughren was one of the members of the staff whom they questioned and relied on with their evidence collection.
Baldwin presented Loughren with a record that detailed the names of the medications as well as the dosage information that her coworker Cullen had withdrawn from the Intensive Care Unit while she was on duty there. According to what Loughren told PEOPLE, “it was very, very evident that there was something not right.”
She was aware that it was her responsibility to assist with the investigation in order to prevent any additional patients from being injured or killed, and as a result, the nurse with the strong mind collaborated with the group of devoted detectives and assistant prosecutors who were working on the case.
How exactly did Charles Cullen end up in custody?
After Loughren learned the truth about Cullen, she gave the Somerset County Police Department’s investigators her consent to covertly record conversations she had with him. Loughren met him in a restaurant, where the police were already waiting for him, in an effort to convince him to confess to the crimes he had committed.
Because of her previous closeness with Cullen, she had a difficult time deciding whether or not it was right for her to assist in putting an end to the insanity. According to what Loughren shared with People, “I was wrestling with how much I still cared for him.” “He was a good buddy of mine. I had no prior knowledge of the killer.”
She confronted Cullen about the unexpected deaths that he had caused at the hospital, despite the fact that she was having those thoughts. Even more, she offered to go with him to the police station when he turned himself in for the crime.
Loughren shared with PEOPLE that the unsettling response he gave her is something that she continues to think about. She was able to recall: “He sat up quite straight. He had a change in the color of his eyes.
He said with a smirk, “I’m going to go down fighting,” and his face contorted into an angry expression.”
The word “superstitious” comes to mind whenever I think of Jessica Chastain holding pal Eddie Redmayne’s Oscar Before Her Win
What exactly was Charles Cullen accused of doing?
Cullen was placed under custody and transported to the local police station thanks to Loughren, who was successful in getting him to confess. As a result of his confession to the crimes he committed at the medical facility, he was found guilty of 29 murders and given 11 consecutive life sentences in the year 2006.
It is possible that Dr. Cullen is responsible for as many as 400 homicides that are linked to unexplained circumstances in the deaths of patients who were treated at other hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania where he worked; however, this information cannot be verified without further admissions from Dr. Cullen. Some medical professionals believe that Dr. Cullen is responsible for as many as 400 homicides.
Where can you find Charles Cullen at this time?
According to NJ.com, Cullen is currently serving a life sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton as part of an agreement with prosecutors to help them identify his victims. This agreement was reached in exchange for Cullen’s cooperation in identifying his victims.
There are a few theaters playing The Good Nurse right now, and the streaming service Netflix will launch it on October 26.