Thousands of NSW nurses are returning to work following strike action for the first time in more than a decade as workers call for more staff and better pay.

But they say further strikes will follow unless their demands are met.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association members "raised their hands in support of further strike action and signalled to the premier they would not give in until all demands were met", the union said in a statement where it declared the premier's "goodwill was over".

Members on Tuesday walked off the job and marched up Macquarie Street to protest outside NSW Parliament House as MPs prepared to sit for the first time this year.

Protests by health workers will continue on Thursday, when paramedics stage industrial action with a ban on staff movement.

Staff movement is the practice of relocating staff from their station to fill 'roster gaps' nearby, which the Australian Paramedics Association says is used to cut costs and avoid adequately staffing stations.

While thousands of nurses took part in the parliament rally on Tuesday, one of about 30 around the state, "tens of thousands of nurses" were in hospitals "looking after the patients trying to keep them alive", NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said.

The attendance at Tuesday's rally - where many said they would have preferred to be at work - showed that nurses and midwives were ready to fight and "stay fighting until we win", Mr Holmes said.

Nurses want a ratio of one nurse to every four patients on every shift and a pay increase above the government's prescribed public sector offer of 2.5 per cent.

Wyong Hospital emergency clinical nurse specialist and union delegate Kelly Falconer said "there is no limit to what we see and deal with" in hospitals "and it's 24/7".

"Our job is much harder when we don't have adequate staffing," Ms Falconer said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet says the government "hope that we can provide a resolution" but the issues are "complex".

He says Health Minister Brad Hazzard is in "constant dialogue" with the unions.

Mr Hazzard met with the union on Monday morning, hours before the state's Industrial Relations Commission ordered the union to refrain from striking.

Opposition Leader Chris Minns says it was cynical of the government to try and stop the strike action hours before it was scheduled to start.

Mr Minns did not commit to introducing nurse-patient ratios, saying he was not ready to announce Labor's election policies.