Registered nurses at St. Joseph Health, St. Mary participated in a three-hour informational picket in front of the hospital Wednesday, claiming that cuts to staffing and supplies have hurt patient care.

The picket was one of three held statewide as part of National Nurses' Day by hospitals under the St. Joseph Health umbrella. Safe staffing was the central theme for each protest, according to the nurses' union, the California Nurses Association.

"We're out here basically fighting for our patient care," said Michelle Stuebe, a St. Mary RN of nine years. "We're having a hard time getting supplies ... They keep putting profits before patient care."

Randy Bevilacqua, St. Mary's vice president of strategic services, said Wednesday the hospital was in compliance with state-mandated patient-to-nurse staffing ratios and supplies were adequate.

He added that the nurses "have a right to express their opinion."

According to Stuebe and Sharon Bryan, an emergency room RN of seven years, cutbacks began about a year ago and have hampered nurses' abilities to provide a high level of care.

"When we don't have what we need, and they keep cutting us back," Bryan said, "it doesn't help provide that kind of care to our community."

Within the last year, six nurses per shift and two certified nursing assistants per floor have been lost, they said.

Meanwhile, California Nurses Association's chief negotiator for St. Mary's touched upon looming talks for a new contract to begin in roughly six months.

"They're planning on making some serious cuts to (nurses') benefits, which we're concerned about," Leslie Curtis said.

Bevilacqua, however, said "we don't have anything in the works to cut any benefits."

About 120 nurses, either on break or off work, picketed between 7 to 10 a.m., according to Curtis. Patient care was uninterrupted, she said.