Book Review: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

McMurphy's arrival to the institution brings a sense of change to the ward. Nurse Ratched is an intimidating character that has manipulated the patients into thinking that she is supporting them, but really, she wants to assert her control. McMurphy is quick to note Nurse Ratched’s power over the patients and is not willing to be put under her emasculation. McMurphy corrupts Nurse Ratched's power by rebelling against the cleaning schedule. In one of the group meetings, McMurphy asks, “what's so wrong with changing time?” (Kesey 139).

There is no excuse why nurses should be mistreated ... ... middle of paper ... ...verbal, sometimes physical abuse from doctors. Nurses are hired to take care and protect patients, but cannot even protect themselves. Boundaries should be set Jennifer Uman for the nurses, by the doctors so there would not be any confusion when told what to do. There should be a clear understanding between the responsibilities of a doctor and their nurses. Ultimately, these two people work hand in hand to heal, and be a blessing to others.

In the movie nurse Ratchet was an bad influence to the patients who needed to be helped in the social groups. Instead of nurse Ratchet listening to the patients, she patronized and compressed them into their own kind of thinking. I think instead of helping them, Ms. Ratchet only mad the worst come out of the patients because of the way she downed their inner feelings and did not treat them as real people . From the visit at the State Hospital, the staff seem to real care about the patients and their mental stableness. I think with most mental illness people can really get help from people who actually care.

The fact that these hospitals have someone employed that is potentially mentally incapable or unstable is not a comforting thought to anyone, let alone the families of the patients. In the 1960’s, mental hospitals were notorious for having unorthodox methods and sadistic caretakers, which provides a nice little category for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to fit into. Kesey is using this medium to make his option that mental institutions are run under a corrupt system and staff known. Since then, more investigations were done and regulations put in place so that the patients treatment improved.

She believes that Esther could choose to be normal if she would like to. Moreover, the nurturing and care that her mom provides is conflictive to what Esther needs. Esther’s mom begins to treat her like an infant and tracks her every move, however that does not resolve any of the root causes that lead up to Esther’s attempted suicide. For these reasons, Esther begins to resent her mother. Further, Buddy’s comments on Esther’s state at the hospital reinforce the fact that she is not normal.

Ruckly, a patient on the ward, was “being a holy nuisance all over the place,” which caused the doctors to operate on him-- the operation didn’t go according to plan. This is perfect foreshadowing of how Nurse Ratched plans to use McMurphy in the end. McMurphy loses it, and that gives Big Nurse the opportunity to play the last card: a lobotomy. She plans to use McMurphy as an example, to set fear into the other patients, just like Ruckly. Her plan is thwarted by Chief Bromden, and her plan is not followed through.

The context of this ethical dilemma is abusing the elder residents. These residents have dementia and are unable to report things that happen to them. The residents are there at the facility because he/ she cannot stay home alone by themselves. The leader of this organization had a no other choice but to report this aide to the Division of Health and Senior Services. She is going to lose her certificate as a nurse assistant.

A physical altercation took place between the Charge Nurse and another nurse, who she had been bullying for some time. It was unsafe, unprofessional, immature, and disorderly. Luckily no patients were harmed, but at that moment we lost the trust of our patients. They no longer saw our hospital as encompassing the values we had on our walls (Reverence, Integrity, Compassion, Excellence) or that the Pillars of our success were even true (Best place to work and practice, Best Place for health and healing, Best Stewardship, Best Access to

I had a patient that was a threat to others, was not redirectable, and was refusing to come out of the bathroom. I informed the doctor that this patient was threatening staff, the doctor told me what to give; nurses usually collaborate to get security, additional staff, draw IM medications, etc. As another nurse and I were drawing up Haldol, Benadryl, and Ativan, the doctor peeked in and told us not to bother, that the patient was now calm. This patient was refusing all PO medication and was grossly psychotic. It did not matter if in that instance she was calm, she was a threat to staff because she had threatened them, and my note reflected this.

Society is presented as a ruthless machine that makes everyone conform to its narrow rules. With rules that deem people unworthy, all individuality is squeezed out of people, and the natural, joyful expressions of life are suppressed. Ken Kesey offers his readers a question: Do society’s rules for us come with malintent? In the hospital ward, where the majority of the book takes place, the representative of society is the Big Nurse, or Nurse Ratchet. At first glance, she seems to be just another decent person trying to help her patients, but at a closer look we are able to see the repression she represents.