SPOKANE--The local nurses union in Spokane said job cutbacks at Deaconess Medical Center are putting patients at risk.

Trevor Van Dyke, KREM 2 News

The nurses union said Deaconess Medical Center has cut too many nurses and it is putting patients at risk.

The hospital cut 80 positions in March and the union says more than 30 nurses have resigned since February.

The nurses union says there aren't enough nurses left to take care of the patients properly, but the hospital says the union is using the cutbacks for its own political agenda.

"The inaccuracies and statements being made in the community by the union are extremely damaging to the reputation of this hospital," said Ron McKay, Deaconess Board President.

The union did say that it's backing a national law to standardize how many nurses are assigned to each patient, but will still take its complaints to the state for investigation.