Nurse Ratched is a fictional character and the main antagonist of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, first featured in Ken Kesey's 1962 novel as well as the 1975 film adaptation. A cold, heartless tyrant, Nurse Ratched has become the stereotype of the nurse as a battleaxe. She has also become a popular metaphor for the corrupting influence of institutional power and authority in bureaucracies such as the psychiatric treatment center in which the novel is set. Nurse Ratched is the head administrative nurse at the Salem State Hospital, a mental institution where she exercises near-absolute power over the patients' access to medications, privileges, and basic necessities such as food and toiletries. She capriciously revokes these privileges whenever a patient displeases her.
| First appearance | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) |
| Created by | Ken Kesey |
| Portrayed by | Joan Tetzel (play), Louise Fletcher (film), Sarah Paulson (Ratched) |
| Aliases | Big Nurse |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Nurse |
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Salem, Oregon, United States |
About Ratched
A young nurse at a mental health facility becomes bitter and jaded prior to turning into a savage caretaker to her many patients. The series is an origin story of sorts to 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Achievement of Ratched
The series was developed by Ryan Murphy and hit the number one position on Netflix's trending titles list upon release.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Ratched
Fictional characters from Oregon.. Once Upon a Time (TV series) characters.. Drama film characters.. Fictional torturers.
