The industrial action is part of a statewide movement to highlight the ongoing short staffing, workloads and patient safety concerns following an initial strike, the first in a decade, six weeks ago.

NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said nurses and midwives were deeply distressed by the government's refusal to acknowledge the public health system crisis.

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"Our members are scathing of the government's unwillingness to continue an open dialogue with us about their claim for shift by shift nurse-to-patient ratios, improved maternity staffing and a modest pay rise," Mr Holmes said.

"The government cannot keep its head in the sand and ignore the serious issues raised by its clinical nursing and midwifery workforce - the staff who are obligated to speak up when professional standards aren't met, and patient safety is compromised."

Griffith NSWNMA Branch Secretary Kristy Wilson said that the last strike had gained no traction from the state government, and had left nurses and midwives left with no other choice but to strike once more.

"They aren't prepared to come to the table and listen to anything of what we are saying," Mrs Wilson said.

Griffith NSWNMA Branch President Yvonne Peisley said that nurses and midwives were at 'breaking point'.

"Nurses are very stressed, they are really unhappy at not being able to give the level of patient care that they want to," Mrs Peisley said.

"Currently in Griffith Base Hospital we are running on skeleton staff, we are capping beds because we simply do not have the nurses to look after patients in those beds."

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NSWNMA Lead Organiser Katrina Lee said that the ongoing action was being forced upon them.

"Other states have guaranteed nurse to patient ratios and better pay but we don't have that in NSW, we are really behind and the state government needs to listen to us about what we need," Mrs Lee said.

"Nurses and midwives across the state are determined that the government will listen and take action, and have committed to ongoing industrial action, we have no other choice."

Members of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association will be striking from 12pm on Thursday March 31st in Memorial Park and invite all members of the community to come out and show their support.

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