It has a major impact, because it hints at the doctor's feelings for Nora and her attempt at manipulation.
Explanation:
Nora and Kristine have not seen each other for years; the meeting serves as a summary of their past lives and provides background information to further understand the characters. Kristine is now a widow who has come to Torvald to obtain employment; she learns that Nora is secretly in debt in effort to pay for her husband's medical treatment in Italy to save his life.
