New Zealand Nurses Organisation members in Tauranga have gathered outside the Tauranga Hospital today at lunchtime to add their voice to the nations' DHB nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants that are joining together across New Zealand.

Members are rallying to bring to the attention of the public their dissatisfaction about the government's under investment into quality patient care, nurses' pay and safe staffing.

There are many more rallies happening across the country over the coming week.

NZNO delegate nurse Helen Tuck says the DHB is underfunded and nurses and midwives are feel undervalued.

'Nurses are out here today for many reasons. We are tired of being undervalued. Many of us have post graduate papers and Masters' degrees and we are not recognised properly for this,” she says.

'We urgently need better pay for nursing and midwifery teams and to be able to ensure safe patient care and support for families in our community with more funding of public health.

'We want the DHB MECA negotiations settled with an updated and better offer because industrial action is absolutely a last resort.”

NZNO campaign activities are planned throughout New Zealand to show government that New Zealanders need it to prioritise rebuilding a quality public health system by investing in nursing, the largest health workforce.