The character of Nurse Ratched originates in the popular Ken Kesey novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The story follows Randle Patrick McMurphy, a rebellious mental hospital patient who attempts to stage a mutiny of sorts against the inimitable Nurse Ratched. The nurse eventually snaps, bringing the story to a devastating and shocking conclusion.
If you couldn't already tell, the story is already rich with exciting opportunities to give us the messed-up kind of storytelling Ryan Murphy has been delivering for the better part of his career!