Viktoria Hallikaar at Spectrum News reports that when you’re facing a medical emergency, time is of the essence - but in the Emergency Room (ER), wait times can often be hours long. Despite many getting into the medical field to help people, some say they face issues that impede that work. New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-represented Registered Nurses (RNs) Lona DeNisco and Crystal Knihinicki - who work at Buffalo’s Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), recently told Spectrum News how ECMC can do better by its patients and its Nurses: “We're the ones doing the care at the bedside. If you don't put (resources) into the lower part of your pyramid, it's going to collapse, right? You can't keep building on the top and let the bottom collapse.” According to HospitalStats.org, ECMC has an average ER wait time of five hours and 15 minutes, the sixth-longest wait time in New York State. DeNisco and Knihinicki say those numbers check out. “Last year, I think we had seen like 70,000 (patients) annually and that's still increasing,” said DeNisco. The two RNs point to staff shortages, especially among Nurses, and ineffective policies for increased wait times.

To Watch Spectrum News’ Labor News Report, Go To: ECMC nurses: Staffing shortages major part of long ER waits