The Pitt actor opens up on how Dana has changed after the Season 1 punch

Katherine LaNasa's Dana, the charge nurse in the emergency department at The Pitt's Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre, is one of the most beloved characters on the show. The latest episode of the second season finds her reliving the trauma that she faced in the first season.

In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, LaNasa opened up on how her character's traumatic experience in the first season has altered nurse Dana. A recent experience with guiding a trainee nurse around the emergency department brought back the exact memories that left her questioning if she wanted to return to the job.

The Pitt actor Katherine LaNasa on how Nurse Dana was affected after the first season's traumatic experience

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre's emergency department, Nurse Dana is completely in charge, and she is the ringleader who runs the show. However, this confidence and silent authority were completely shaken in The Pitt Season 1 when an aggressive patient approached Dana and punched her, leaving her bloody and defenseless on the ground.

"I don’t think she really probably feels safe anywhere. It’s one place she thought she would be protected, respected, and she’s not. And so I don’t think she feels that she’s safe, anyone’s safe."

LaNasa explains how this traumatic experience has shaken up Nurse Dana's sense of safety. It even left her questioning if she wanted to return to PTMC as the charge nurse. However, when The Pitt Season 2 opened, Nurse Dana was still in charge, but her entire sense of self and the way she operates was now altered:

"I think Dana never thought that Dana would get punched. Do you know what I’m saying? So I think it really shattered her whole world view."

So, when she was guiding the trainee nurse Emma around the room, a patient grabbed Emma's hand aggressively, Dana was quick to rush to her defense and scolded him. She shoves off a sign from the wall, which notes the consequences of violence against healthcare workers, and shoves it in his face on The Pitt.

LaNasa explains that Dana has become much more defensive and short-tempered on The Pitt. So, while she still has her warmth when dealing with patients and handling the emergency room, the effect of that traumatic experience is more than visible in her demeanor

"I think she still has her warmth, and in some ways she’s still the same old Dana, but I think we’ll definitely see a changed Dana, and I think it’s not even really so much about where she begins, but like what happens to her throughout the day, and how the effects of that punch affect her and her behavior, and how that plays out throughout the day. We see that she’s still affected by it."

So, Dana might be the same old Dana who deals with warmth, courage, and a silent authority, but she is also defined by her experience, which continues to color her perception.

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