Nurses employed by Te Whatu Ora Health NZ won't be picking up extra shifts this week.

The Nurses Organisation made the suggestion last week, as the winter bonus payment of a hundred dollars ended.

Whangarei Hospital emergency medicine specialist, Dr Gary Payinda says doctors support what nurses are going through and how hard they work.

He hopes they'll get to a resolution that's productive because this can't go on forever.

NZNO chief Paul Goulter hopes to negotiate a better way than incentivising nurses to work extra time, taking into account their health and safety.

He told Tim Dower Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand decided to introduce the winter payment system without engaging the union.

He says they weren't happy as a programme of additional payments incentivises already fatigued workers to do additional shifts.

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