Nurses across the country are marching in their thousands today demanding better pay and safer working conditions.
The marches coincide with international Nurses Day, and will incorporate submitting a 32,800 strong online petition to Parliament asking for safer staffing and working conditions for nurses.
Marches are already taking place in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Hastings, Gisborne, Nelson, Hamilton, Dunedin and Whangārei.
The online petition on change.org started by Nurse Florence is directed at Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern.
It asks for a pay rise that "adequately reflects Enrolled nurses and Registered Nurses level of education, knowledge, skills, competence, and experience".
"Some nurses have shared accounts of assault in their stories, injury, expressing the fear and anxiety they feel going into work each day, telling us that managers minimise these incidents, and the staffing crisis," the petition states.
"Nurses are afraid that someone will be seriously injured before meaningful change happens."
Marchers in Auckland's Aotea Square are already gathering for a rally at 1pm.
Hundreds of nurses are also marching through the Wellington city streets.
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