Katherine LaNasa is Dana Evans, the experienced charge nurse who serves as the hub of The Pitt, HBO’s adrenaline-fueled medical drama that takes place in a Pittsburgh emergency room. Dana isn’t simply a logistical power player; she’s the emotional beating heart of the ER, the one who holds the floor together, all while taking the most punishment. LaNasa's character brings to life the often overlooked work of nurses, such as responding to emergencies, settling doctor-patient disputes, and enduring the psychological stress of making life-and-death choices regularly.For Season 2, LaNasa has talked with real UCLA nurses to prepare for the role and base her work on lived medical experience. This research directly impacted Dana’s expanded storyline, making it more nuanced. Speaking to Deadline, the actress said,"I actually went to the r*pe treatment center a few times, and I learnt from them, and I talked to them multiple times about how they handle things."Read on to know more about what else LaNasa said about her role and her preparation.Here is what The Pitt star Katherine LaNasa said about prepping with UCLA nurses for the Season 2 story View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSeason 1 already put Dana into harrowing situations, including a violent attack by a patient, and Season 2 continues to examine the fallout, not sensationally, but through fatigue, persistence, and the lingering trauma that hovers over caregivers. The nursing training sections helped LaNasa polish the small, telling details of the work, like how power is wielded, how empathy is metered, and how just getting through the day often requires emotional compartmentalization.The Pitt actress, while speaking with Deadline, talked about visiting UCLA nurses for her character's Season 2 story. She expressed how the visit helped and gave her a hold of the issues they handle."I asked them a lot of questions. When you go and do that, you learn a lot. I am telling you about the story of something that happened one time, and you get a sense of how they approach it."She further added that the people sensitively handle the cases and are very compassionate towards the victims. This observation helped her "depict" the same in The Pitt with more authenticity."Also, that place, the people at the r*pe treatment center at the Stuart House, are so compassionate and so designed to support the victim. I really got a really good understanding of that... so I just really learn from real nurses and try to depict them."The Pitt season 2 premieres on 8 January 2026. The show has been critically praised for its authenticity, its ensemble cast, and its unwillingness to glorify medical heroism. Particularly, the work of Katherine LaNasa has been positively regarded as one of the most grounded and emotional parts of the show.There’s also reason to be optimistic when it comes to the fate of The Pitt, as it has already been picked up for Season 3, which indicates some level of faith from the network, along with the indication that the audience is only going to become larger.