First premiering January 9, 2025, HBO Max’s The Pitt has become a massive hit, making waves within the medical drama genre. The series entertains its audience with fast-paced, shocking emergency room (ER) scenes, while also highlighting the reality of healthcare professionals in the workplace, and specifically nurses. The show dominated at the 2025 Emmy Awards with 13 nominations and five awards, including the Outstanding Drama Series Award, according to The New York Times. The show continues to be a success in its second season, as it draws in large viewership while placing a greater emphasis on nurse representation.
The Pitt’s cast includes standard medical television roles such as, doctors, surgeons, and specialists. Yet, what separates it from other series is its unique spotlight on nurses. The show gives its nurse characters complexity and portrays them realistically, even casting real-life nurse Mr. Ned Brower to play fictional nurse Jesse Van Horn, according to collider.com. In an interview about season two, episode six creator and show-runner of The Pitt Mr. R. Scott Gemmill touched on the portrayal of nurses in television compared to reality.
“I really wanted to do an episode that leaned in on the nurses,” Mr. Gemmill said, according to youtube.com. “I felt like traditionally in medical shows the nurses sometimes, unless it was a nurse-centric show, were always sort of secondary or tertiary characters and the reality is they literally run the ER.”
The show emphasizes nurse representation through its storylines. For instance, Nurse Dana Evans, played by Ms. Katherine LaNasa, is the charge nurse of the show’s ER and a standout member of the cast who won Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Emmy Awards, according to The New York Times. In season one, episode nine of the series, an aggravated patient assaults Dana after a long wait time due to the ER’s limited room and staff, reflecting a real life risk nurses face on a daily basis.
A 2021 study found that nurses face significantly higher rates of assault than other healthcare workers, with 25 percent of nurses reporting physical violence from patients or their family members, according to nih.gov. Similarly, in season two, episode six of The Pitt, an inexperienced Emma Nolan, portrayed by Ms. Laëtitia Hollard, is working her first shift as a nurse when a patient berates her as he waits for a doctor, highlighting the 50 percent of nurses who report exposure to verbal abuse or bullying, according to nih.gov.
Factors that increase the risk of violence for healthcare workers include workplace stress and understaffing, according to nih.gov. Today, these issues are extremely prevalent in the United States, as the country faces a nursing shortage that impacts the entire healthcare industry, according to aacnnursing.org. For instance, nurses are fighting to keep themselves mentally and physically safe, as seen in the recent, historic 41-day long New York City nurses’ strike. Mr. Asher Almonacy, nurse and father of junior Analyse Almonacy, discussed what he believes to be the main causes to the current nurse shortage and how it has affected his work.
“Generally, poor working conditions, unmanageable nurse to patient ratios, and complex cases have been factors that have largely contributed to the current national nurse shortage, ” Mr. Almonacy said. “Also, education requirements have made it increasingly difficult for people to work in hospitals as higher education is required compared to back in the day. As a result of these factors there is now an inability for nurses to take on cases.”
Overall, within the 15-hour shifts of each season, The Pitt has managed to capture the attention of millions of viewers, using its success to bring attention to the growing crisis for nurse in the healthcare system. By placing nurses at the forefront of the show rather than on the sidelines and including scenes that portray dangerous yet realistic scenarios for nurses, the series spreads awareness of the real struggles that these healthcare workers face, impacting not only them but the entire healthcare system as a result. As the national nursing shortage persists, The Pitt continues to encourage viewers to develop a deeper understanding and respect for nurses.
Featured Image by Emilia Oliva ’27
