RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Local nurses are sounding the alarm about working conditions at the UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center. They claim staff members are leaving in large numbers, but the hospital is fighting those claims.

According to the United Health Professionals of New Mexico, the Sandoval Regional Medical Center has lost 25% of its staff in the last year.

“For two and a half years, we have been pleading with them to listen to us about the working conditions, which in turn are patient’s healing conditions, and how those conditions have deteriorated to a point where so many people have left,” said Adrien Enghouse, a registered nurse and member of the United Health Professionals of NM.

According to the latest financial audit online, as of June of this year, SRMC has 663 credentialed practitioners. The hospital’s online careers tab shows there are currently 59 full-time positions open, 13 part-time positions, and 30 “as-needed” jobs.

A UNM SRMC rep told KOB 4 the group has not been certified by a New Mexico district judge, and because of that, the hospital has not met with them.

Enghouse says the group has been working to sit down with hospital officials to negotiate a contract.

“We know that we can fix our working conditions, we can improve things,” Enghouse said. “You know, we’re just saying, please put patients over profits, please put our patients first.”

A UNM SRMC rep says once the group is certified by a judge, they’re more than welcome to join the bargaining table.

In a statement, the hospital says it’s actively working on a first collective bargaining agreement with a different certified union at the hospital. A hospital rep says the community knows the hospital is a place of high quality for safe patient care, adding that its employees are treated with respect and deeply valued.

UNM SRMC also noted the national health care crisis, saying every hospital in the country has been impacted in some way whether that’s financially or with staff shortages after the pandemic.