What We Learned About PTMC’s Nurses

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Pitt season 2, episode 6.A tragic death rocked The Pitt season 2, episode 6, and the show took the opportunity to put more focus onto Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s nurses instead of its doctors. The Pitt has never been a show to pull its emotional punches, and Louie’s death in this week’s episode was no exception. As one of the oldest patients at PTMC, Louie’s absence is going to have an effect on the entire cast of The Pitt.

Louie’s death wasn’t the only big development of the week, however. We learned a lot about the nurses of PTMC, got a glimpse into the many challenges they face, and saw firsthand how they keep the hospital running. In a first for The Pitt, the nurses actually took center stage over the doctors, and it’s worth reviewing everything we learned from that shift in focus.

The Pitt Season 2, Episode 6 Mainly Focused On PTMC’s Nurses

Viewers may have noticed that The Pitt season 2, episode 6 spent much more time following the nurses of PTMC than any other episode of the show has. Almost the entire episode follows the various nurses from one case to another as they move about the hospital, and they also became the subject of conversation for the first time. Almost all the major nurses of PTMC also had some big developments this week.

Perlah was the first nurse to respond to Louie’s death, and the emotional weight of it seemingly hit her the hardest. We also learned that Princess knows six languages, including American Sign Language, which she used with Harlow. Dana taught Emma how to clean Louie’s dead body and had a few personal moments that will be looked at in more depth.

Donnie, meanwhile, got a chance to show off his suturing skills and explain his tattoos that memorialize the PittFest shooting and the birth of his child. Jesse had a long conversation with Varney, and Kim flexed her medical knowledge. Even the doctors of PTMC commented on the nurses, with Whitaker remarking that they run the hospital, and Robby giving Kim some well-earned respect.

Louie’s Death Hit PTMC Hard

Louie’s death, which started with his pulmonary hemorrhage in The Pitt season 2, episode 5, made for one of the most emotional scenes in the entire season so far. As explained in the episode, Louie died due to complications with his liver failure from chronic alcoholism. Many of the nurses and doctors of PTMC were distraught by his passing, and Robby and Dana organized a moment of reflection over his body at the end of the hour.

During that moment of reflection, Robby explained that Louie had told him his life story at one point. Dr. Langdon found a photo of Louie’s wife earlier in the episode, and Robby explained who she was. Louie was once married to a woman named Rhonda, though she died in a car crash with his unborn child. Her death was the start of Louie’s alcoholism, and the eventual cause of his own death.

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Unfortunately, despite how tragic Louie’s passing was, the doctors and nurses of PTMC are going to have to recover from it quickly. There are more patients at the hospital who need help, and though Louie was well-liked, they can’t stop and mourn him for long. That simply added to the tragedy of The Pitt season 2’s saddest episode to date.

Robby & Al-Hashimi’s Fight Over The Prisoner Patient & Dana’s Decision Explained

Gus Varney, an inmate who was both beaten and malnourished and one of The Pitt season 2’s patients, continued to be a source of conflict this week. Robby and Dr. Al-Hashimi butted heads over how to deal with him. Robby wanted to move him to a central room and discharge him as soon as possible, as he is concerned about the safety issues at play and thinks that the prison’s infirmary will be capable of taking care of him.

Al-Hashimi, on the other hand, wanted to keep Gus longer so they could properly care for his malnourishment, as she believes he’s not being adequately provided for in prison. Al-Hashimi actually got somewhat heated over the argument, and she declared that she’s trying to improve the system and show compassion to a person who has been systematically ignored.

Dana, however, was the one who settled the conflict. After talking with Gus and discovering that he used to work at the bar Dana had her first kiss in, she did something to lower his pulse ox. That was enough to get Gus admitted to the hospital for a few more days. That moment also showed that despite Dana’s assertions that she’s cynical and burnt out, she still cares deeply for her patients and for the people of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Al-Hashimi’s AI App Is Already Causing Problems

Dr. Al-Hashimi’s generative artificial intelligence app also caused a problem in this week’s episode. Dr. Santos began using the AI app to help catch up on her charting, but she didn’t have time to proofread everything the app did. Because of that, one of her patients was admitted with a history of appendicitis despite never having that condition, and a surgeon got very mad at the oversight.

Santos is also likely going to be in hot water for the mix-up as well. Al-Hashimi won’t be happy that she failed to proofread and made the AI app look bad, while Robby won’t be happy that she’s using the app in the first place instead of focusing on her patients. Al-Hashimi’s generative AI is probably going to cause more problems as The Pitt season 2 progresses.

Dana Is Upset With PTMC’s Treatment Of Nurses

In keeping with The Pitt season 2, episode 6’s focus on nurses, Dana had a problem with PTMC’s administration. Early on in the episode, the hospital administrators sent donuts to the emergency room to “thank” the nurses for working on the Fourth of July. Dana was enraged by that, as she viewed it as a half-measure. She’d much rather have better pay, shorter hours, and more nurses to adequately staff the hospital instead of donuts.

The donuts may also have some implications for the future of The Pitt. As the series has displayed multiple times, nurses face many unique challenges that hospital administrators refuse to address. From violence in the workplace to understaffing, nurses like Dana are underpaid and overworked. If PTMC’s administration continues to ignore the problem, The Pitt season 2’s understaffing problem could get worse.

Release Date

January 9, 2025

Network

Max

Showrunner

R. Scott Gemmill

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  Noah Wyle

  Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch

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  Tracy Ifeachor

  Dr. Heather Collins

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