Nurses hold protest in front of Desert Regional Medical Center

Nurses protested Friday afternoon in front of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs in solidarity with nurses around the country.

The protesting nurses say they are not getting enough personal protective equipment to keep them safe during their shift.

"We're getting one N95 and then the shield that we've had for over a month that we need to save in our possession," said Kathy Marino, a registered nurse at Desert Regional.

"I'm afraid of spreading it to other patients," said Lori Ruggiero, a nurse in the ICU at Desert Regional. "I wear all this equipment then I go into another patient's room. I'm afraid of spreading it to them."

She said she wears only one N95 mask for the entire day.

"You're supposed to use it every different patients but now we're expected to use it the whole shift plus," Ruggiero said.

"They're not seeing their patients the way they should," Marino said.

A spokesperson Tenet Healthcare, the operator of Desert Regional Medical Center, said in a statement, shown here in part:

"We follow the guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for appropriate PPE use and conservation. We have enough supplies at Desert Regional to safely treat our patients and protect our staff. Our team is continuing to source for additional supplies."

They dispute the nurses claims – and maintain there is enough PPE.

You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.