Nurses nationwide walked off the job today at 7am after rejecting the latest pay offer from the district health boards (DHBs).

No suitable agreement was reached, so the 24-hour strike will proceed.

Nurses Organisation lead organiser Carol Beaumont is at the picket line outside Auckland Hospital.

She told Larry Williams nurses regret having to walk off the job but they're united on their calls for change.

"The mood is really welcome, with the support we are getting from the public, I think nurses are feeling really strongly that this is the right thing to do [but] it hasn't been easy by any means."

LISTEN ABOVE AS CAROL BEAUMONT SPEAKS WITH LARRY WILLIAMS