RENO — More than 100 nurses in contract talks with Renown Regional Medical Center rallied Thursday in protest of what they say are dangerously short-staffed conditions at northern Nevada's largest hospital.

The nurses, some in powder blue hospital scrubs and others pushing small children in strollers, marched through the downtown casino district with signs that read "Patients Before Profits," ''Safe Staffing Saves Lives" and "Renown ‥1 in patient waiting."

Organized by the Service Employees International Union Local 1107, they had planned informational picketing in front of the medical center until hospital managers threatened to fire any employees who participated.

Instead, they marched to a small veterans' memorial plaza across from the Washoe County courthouse chanting "Renown nurses want what's fair, we're standing up for quality care."

"Nurses have too many patients and are left to provide care with one arm tied behind our back," said Lynn Shabi, a registered nurse at Renown for more than 25 years.

Much of the protest focussed on Renown's spending priorities, including the construction of a $318 million, 11-story luxury hospital tower that includes 192 new beds in private patient suites with 26-inch flat screen TVs and original artwork.

Rally leaders said that while the hospital's total payroll has increased only 1.5 percent from 2003 to 2005, CEO Jim Miller's total compensation shot up 84.3 percent to more than $1.1 million in salary, benefits and expense accounts.

"If Renown has enough money to build the new Tahoe tower, fill the rooms with original art and give CEO Jim Miller an 83 percent raise, there is no excuse for Renown not to have enough nurses at the bedside to provide safe care," Shabi said.

Patty Allen, a registered nurse who has specialized in neonatal care in the hospital's intensive care unit for 25 years, said the ratio of three patients to one nurse in that unit is "totally acceptable."

"Patients wait in the emergency room for ours," Allen said.

"No matter how hard nurses work, it is impossible to give our patients the quality care they deserve," she said.

Shabi said reports of a nursing shortage are a myth.

"There isn't a nursing shortage, just a shortage of nurses willing to work at bedside under current conditions," she said. "We don't have the staff we need to ensure patient safety."

Last year, the hospital lost 22 percent of its nurses due to working conditions, said Jane McAlevey, the executive director of the SEIU of Nevada.

Renown and nurses represented by the SEIU of Nevada have been locked in contract negations since for a year, although there have been many months where no talks were held.

Don Butterfield, the hospital's director of communications, said Thursday afternoon Renown officials wanted to emphasize the picketing won't affect care and services.

"This union tactic has no affect on Renown services, and patients should continue to seek care at Renown Regional for appointments, emergency care and any other health-related services," he said.

Renown posted a message on its Web site to inform patients and visitors that the hospital is currently in contract negotiations with SEIU. It said the informational picketing is not a work stoppage and is different than a strike.

"Unions are notorious for using destructive and negative tactics, such as picketing, to hurt the reputations of nurses, physicians, employees and the hospital they work for to harm public trust."

Renown officials said the hospital prefers to negotiate directly with employees rather than a third-party labor union. They blamed the union for the failure to reach an agreement in the talks that began in April 2007.

"Renown and the union still remain far apart on important issues such as pay, shift differentials, retirement and staffing ratios," the hospital said.