Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Pitt.
So faron Max’s medical drama,The Pitt, Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) has saved the day many times alongside the other doctors who run the emergency room (nicknamed The Pitt). Their expertise andability to think clearly in a crisishave helped many patients, and Dr. Robby is clearly the protagonist of the series sincewe follow him throughout his shiftand get some insight into his emotional state.But there’s another character who’s quietly showing that the ER would fall apart without her.
Nurse Evans Makes Sure ‘The Pitt’ Is Running Smoothly
Nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) is the charge nurse on duty forthis shift in the ER. She’s responsible for dozens and dozens of patients who come through the waiting room or are brought in by ambulance every day. She uses her decades of experience as a nurse to assign patients to specific beds, makes sure that their overall care is supervised, and tries to get them discharged in an efficient way once they’re stable. The Pitt seeseverything from minor injuries to life-threatening conditions, and Nurse Evans never even appears to break a sweat when managing everyone’s care.It is her ability to stay calm under pressure that makes her a vital part of the team (and of the series itself). Even through the chaos, Nurse Evans' organizational skills and composed demeanor keep things moving, so that every patient gets the care they need.
Because of Nurse Evans' expertise, she’s also called in to help with patients in some situations.In the show’s latest episode, Evans assists Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif) with a patient who has raised red flags for being a victim of trafficking. It’s obvious why Dr. McKay feels comfortable asking Nurse Evans for help; she has tons of experience dealing with these types of sensitive issues, and she has avast amount of medical knowledgeas a nurse. But it’s also the fact that Nurse Evans has an authoritative, yet empathetic demeanor that makes people open up to her. Her no-nonsense attitude means doctors and patients alike realize she can’t be messed with, butit’s also clear to everyone that she has a heart of gold behind that businesslike attitude.
‘The Pitt’ Works Because of This One Major Change to the Medical Show Format
Paging, Dr. Jerk?
Everyone Gets Emotional Support From Nurse Evans in ‘The Pitt’
Besides taking care of all the patients that come through the ER, Nurse Evans also serves as emotional support for her colleagues.In the very first episode, she’s seen being a good friend to Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor), who is trying to accept her pregnancy. And then, throughout the episodes that have aired so far, Nurse Evans has provided friendly support for almost all the doctors on staff in the ER. She gives Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden) a pep talk in the stairwell whenMel is unsure of how to help a patient, and offers some sassy marital advice to Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball). But above all, she’s spent this shift trying to be there for Dr. Robby. Because it’s the anniversary of his mentor’s passing, Nurse Evans knows the day will be a tough one for Dr. Robby. She checks in on him frequently, and also gently teases him to help him get out of his own head.She seems to somehow intuit what each doctor needs from her to get through their shift, and she’s happy to be either someone to lean on or a distraction from the heartache surrounding them all.
Unfortunately, it’s all too realistic that nurses don’t get the credit they deserve (especially charge nurses, who keep the whole circus running). In the latest episode, Dr. Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) asks Nurse Evans how long she’s been doing this, and she replies, “32 years.” It’s astonishing that Evans has not only remained in such a challenging profession for that long, but also that she’s been privy toso many stressful and intense eventsin every single shift, and she is still walking around with a smile. When he says that she deserves a medal, she responds with a quip, “I’d settle for a raise.“This comment alone makes it easy to see that Nurse Evans realizes how undervalued she is. But instead of being bitter, she just continues to be dedicated to saving lives (and to being there for her colleagues when they need her). Sadly, Nurse Evans is used to being an unsung hero who doesn’t typically get the praise she deserves.
Katherine LaNasa Brings ‘The Pitt’s Nurse Evans To Life
Nurse Evans is clearly the MVP of The Pitt — the place would quickly fall into utter chaos without her. Butthe series itself also relies on Nurse Evansas a grounding force throughout all the mayhem. The character provides a calming presence that counteracts all of the bedlam, and this is, in large part, because of LaNasa’s performance. A veteran actor with over 80 credits on her resume, she’s able to create this perfect blend of steeliness and warmth. LaNasa portrays Nurse Evans as a woman who has no time for nonsense, but who has also somehow managed to retain her sense of humorin this line of work. With a lesser actor, Nurse Evans would fade into the background, behind some of the more overt acts of heroics from the doctors. However, inThe Pitt,LaNasa makes sure that Nurse Evans and her essential role in the ER grabs our attention in every episode.
So far in the series, we haven’t received a lot of background about Nurse Evans herself. This makes sense since her goal is to support everyone around her. She’s the oldest of five children (which tracks with her ability to wrangle other people), and she has two daughters, but other than that, she’s a bit of a mystery. Hopefully,The Pittwill offer additional backstory for this character in future episodes. It was announced that the series has already beenpicked up for a second season, which means there could be many more opportunities for Nurse Evans to come more to the forefront and tohave a more fully developed history. As of now, though, it’s evident how vital she is to the ER (and to all of her colleagues). She might not be the one administering CPR or doling out meds, but none of the patients would receive high-quality care without Nurse Evans at the helm.We love you, Dr. Robby, but Nurse Evans is obviously the star of this team.
The Pittis available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes drop every Thursday.
