Wairarapa DHB chief executive Dale Oliff says they hope they can get a better understanding of what nurses want when negotiations resume.
About 30,000 nurses, midwives and other health workers have been on a seven-hour strike after nurses voted on Monday to go ahead with the strike, having rejected a revised pay offer from district health boards.
Oliff said they had been working hard to ease staffing pressures, including employing 3000 extra nurses and midwives in the past three years with a plan to bring on more.
She said their pay offer to the nurses had been a good one, especially for those on a low rate, but they were hoping to get back around the table with nurses after the strike was over.
Read back through live updates from the strike:
The strike was expected to go from 11am to 7pm. Picket lines and marches were scheduled for throughout the day.
Anyone with an elective appointment should know by now whether it had been postponed, but if not, they should check with their DHB.
People needing urgent care were assured they would still be able to attend hospital, or dial 111. They should call Healthline or their GP if unsure whether it is urgent.
Both sides have agreed to meet after the strike, to continue the negotiations.