The consensus was reached from Tuesday's statewide strike by members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association accusing the government of ignoring "safe staffing ratio pleas" of a women-dominated profession.

Organisers said thousands joined the protest in various areas and online for those outside of the Sydney region.

The union had earlier negotiated with the health department for a wage hike commensurate to the 5.1 percent inflation rate estimated by the Reserve Bank last May.

The NSW government granted the public sector staff with 3.5 percent wage increase in the 2022-2023 budget and another 3 percent in next year's budget totaling 6.5 percent.

The union's wage counter-proposal is twice and also proposes a shift-by-shift nurse-to-patient ratio to improve their daily working conditions exacerbated by "systemic workload and work and safety issues" due to chronic staff shortage.

The association was also advised that 2,700 nurses and 165 midwives will be recruited but of this number, 1,026 were from the 2019 commitment to staffing, assistant secretary-general Michael Whaites said.

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"We want assurances that improvements to their excessive workloads will be achieved and they want safe staffing ratios on every shift, in every ward, in every hospital, and every community healthcare setting.

"They need staffing numbers that are transparent and accountable when they show up for their shifts day and night."

More than 10,000 new health staff will be recruited starting this year as part of the state government's $4 billion health budget of which $883 million were set aside for new staff in regional areas experiencing a decline in services.