Here’s what to know about Charles Cullen, the story uncovered in 'The Good Nurse,' and the medical true crime genre
Reveals a Disturbing True Story About a Serial Killer Nurse Allowed to Move Through a Broken Healthcare SystemReveals a Disturbing True Story About a Serial Killer Nurse Allowed to Move Through a Broken Healthcare Systemharles Cullen is a former registered nurse who worked in hospitals across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where he assisted with procedures, tended to patients, and became one of America’s most prolific serial killers.
Over his 16-year career, Cullen is confirmed to have murdered 29 patients, and is believed to have killed as many as 400 people in total through multiple means, including covertly dosing them with drugs like insulin and digoxin. The story of how his crimes were finally uncovered is explored in the new, starring Eddie Redmayne as Cullen and Jessica Chastain as a fellow nurse Amy Loughren, and based on the book of the same name by Charles Graeber.
Soon after Cullen is hired, stable patients begin passing away under suspicious circumstances. A woman recovering from an allergic reaction who’s just found true love at 77 dies suddenly, before her husband can make it to her side. A young mother who’s survived an accident also dies unexpectedly—as do many more patients who were seemingly on the road to recovery.