The Pitt Season 2, Episode 7, called “1:00 PM,” now streaming on HBO and Max, unfolds during a chaotic Fourth of July shift at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.

The episode packs in heat exhaustion cases, a SWAT-injured officer treated by returning Dr. Abbot (Shawn Hatosy), tensions between Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and Langdon, and a cyberattack forcing analog operations.

Meanwhile, Charge nurse Dana Evans, played by Katherine LaNasa, is pulled into handling a sexual assault victim’s exam as the sole SANE nurse present, making it one of the most emotionally heavy cases of the season.

A young woman named Ilana, portrayed by Tina Ivlev, arrives at the ER after being sexually assaulted.

As Dana is the only Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) on shift, she steps away from her usual emergency floor duties to lead the forensic exam, leading to one of the most detailed depictions of a rape kit exam.

The Pitt episode focuses less on the assault itself and more on the medical process, the emotional weight, and the importance of trauma-informed care.

Katherine LaNasa opens up on preparing for The Pitt episode

Throughout the procedure shown on The Pitt, Dana repeatedly tells Ilana, “You are in control now.” She reminds her that she can stop at any time.

She explains that evidence can be collected even if Ilana is unsure about pressing charges.

LaNasa later said she was proud of how much “great information” the episode offered viewers. She stressed that survivors can “have the evidence collected” without deciding “that day when you’re traumatized” whether to file charges.

That, she explained, was powerful and necessary for audiences to understand.

To prepare, the 59-year-old visited the UCLA Health Rape Treatment Center twice to master the rape kit process. She said,

“I went back a second time because I knew I was going to have to use the kit … I wanted it to look like I had used the kit many times and I knew what I was doing.”

Dana moves through each step with calm authority. She changes gloves carefully. She documents bruises. She seals evidence.

She explains every action before touching the patient. Nothing feels rushed, even though the ER outside is in chaos.

LaNasa also connected The Pitt episode to Dana’s own trauma from Season 1, as she told the Los Angeles Times:

“I thought it was great information that we got out of this, which is that you can go and do a rape kit, you can have the evidence collected and you don’t have to decide on that day when you’re traumatized if you want to press charges or not.”

Dana was physically assaulted last season and chose not to press charges. That decision still weighs on her. LaNasa admitted that Dana’s “hypervigilance” likely comes from the fact that there was “no justice for her,” explaining,

“I think why she’s cracked this season is because she didn’t take care of herself. She’s reeling from that. She let him beat her up. At the same time, she doesn’t want [Ilana] to feel any pressure, but I think she wants it for her. She wants her to have the ability to change her mind later.”

At the same time, Dana does not pressure Ilana. LaNasa explained that while Dana wants justice for her patient, she is careful not to impose that desire and wants Ilana to have “the ability to change her mind later.”

Show creator R. Scott Gemmill and writer Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman worked closely with real-life consultants, including experts from UCLA’s Health Rape Treatment Center and Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.

They wanted to highlight “the very important and incredible work of a SANE,” while also showing “the bravery it takes for a survivor to come forward.”

Dr. Kathleen Sekula, a real-life SANE nurse at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh who consulted on The Pitt episode, explained that many viewers misunderstand how detailed and time-consuming these exams are.

“I wanted people to understand the extent of the exam, I think that’s a misconception among a lot of people,” said Dr. Kathleen Sekula.

In reality, they often take three to four hours. Nurses must complete extensive training, including 40 to 60 hours of coursework and hands-on clinical exams, before they are certified.

Sekula named the core principle behind the process as trauma-informed care.

“We teach nurses who are training to become SANEs that you really respect their personal space very, very clearly. You ask them, you let them know if you’re going to touch them because they have just been violated. We talk about it as trauma-informed care. We give back to the patient control over what’s going on,” she explained.

Addressing common misconceptions, Dr. Kathleen said that the survivors do not all react the same way by crying or seeming upset; some go silent, anxious, or even laugh.

“For a long time, nurses and physicians saw these patients when they came into the unit as being maybe faking [it] or being not credible in some way,” Sekula adds. “And now we know that they present in many different ways when they come in.”

Director Uta Briesewitz also made deliberate filming choices. She avoided invasive camera angles. When Ilana changes clothes, the camera stays focused on Dana, protecting her privacy.

When the black light exam happens, the framing ensures the patient’s dignity remains intact, as the goal was to avoid retraumatizing the women while still showing the reality of the process.

“It was a very sensitive line because women can get re-traumatized,” Briesewitz said. “I remember one of our more detailed conversations with our SANE nurse was about when Dana had to look with the black light for bodily fluid. How do we make sure she would not miss anything, but, at the same time, give the victim the feeling that they’re still protected?”

An intimacy coordinator and a SANE consultant remained on set during filming to ensure comfort and accuracy. While Katherine further teased about her character in The Pitt, saying,

“We’re going to hear Dana, later in the season, refer back to this process that these people have to go through, in defense of a sexual assault victim….It’s big on her mind. She’s been doing it quite a while.”

The Pitt Season 2 Episode 8 will be available to stream on HBO Max at 9:00 pm ET on February 26, 2026.

Stay tuned for more updates.