Most of the key figures in The Good Nurse are survivors of trauma. Their struggles include childhood abuses, episodes of sadness, medical traumas, and systemic betrayals that permanently alter their worldviews and interactions. Even those who have sought self-healing and therapy still end up in positions of turmoil, showing that they’re far from being rid of their past experiences. The Good Nurse thus shows the lingering effects of trauma by providing an honest, difficult depiction of how one’s past can alter one’s future.

For example, Amy has experienced sexual and medical trauma, two conditions that influence her relationships and her reaction to Charlie’s crimes. Graeber outlines Amy’s sexual abuse very briefly, focusing more on her efforts to overcome her past and how her childhood experiences shaped her present and future. Part of this is a speculation that Amy has faith in her instincts, believing herself capable of knowing when people are good and bad; however, these instincts fail her when it comes to Charlie. Her struggle with guilt over her involvement in his arrest pairs with deep self-doubt, adding sympathy and uncertainty to all her actions. She’s at odds with herself, questioning who she can be safe with, just as she did when she was a child.