The Pitt’s latest episode is another major example of how the show has been depicting the real issues of healthcare and what actually happens in emergency rooms every single day. The second season’s latest episode, where we see a patient who is in a drug and alcohol-induced state, attacking a nurse Emma, putting her in a headlock. Charge nurse Dana steps in to handle it, but it’s a scary scene. And if you’re thinking the scene was dramatised. then Dr. Robert Glatter from Lenox Hill Hospital is here to say otherwise.
Talking to Men’s Health, the doctor spoke about the real life issues underlined in this scene, citing research showing that 100% of ER nurses experience verbal assault and 82% experience physical assault in a single year. Speakig to the outlet, he stated,
“This scenario reflects a disturbingly common reality in emergency departments across the U.S. Nurses face the highest risk, with one study reporting that 100% of emergency department nurses experienced verbal assault and 82% experienced physical assault in a single year.”
The scene shows the patient waking up confused and combative after being sedated, and when someone has been heavy on drugs and alcohol, especially alcohol mixed with cocaine, they can wake up disoriented and paranoid. They don’t recognize where they are or who’s trying to help them, so they lash out at the people treating them.
The Pitt also gets the hospital response right. The staff follows actual protocol for aggressive patients, and handles the situation formally. Glatter further commented on how the scene depicted real tension in emergency departments as he added,
“The way charge nurse Dana’s anger and protectiveness play out captures a real tension in emergency departments: leaders are often simultaneously advocates for patients and guardians for their staff and learners.”
The Pitt might just be the most realistic medical drama ever
The Pitt has become one of the three most-watched HBO Max titles ever, garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and healthcare leaders say producers consulted clinicians to ensure authenticity. But the actual realistic depiction is proven in the wat actual ER doctors are watching this show and saying it’s genuinely depicting their lives better than anything else on television.
Before filming even began, the cast went through an intensive bootcamp designed to immerse them in the realities of emergency medicine, and real medical providers are always on set to support scenes in an authentic manner. This maintains authenticity in the potrayal, which is why the show gets so many things right.
The Pitt is streaming on HBO Max.
Edited by Nibir Konwar