Hundreds of graduate nurses start dates will be delayed due to a planned nationwide strike

More than 36-thousand Nurses Organisation members will walk off the job on two separate days early next month over staffing shortages.

Health New Zealand National Chief Nurse Nadine Gray says it means over 300 graduate nurses who were due to begin work on the first of September, will be delayed by a week.

She says they have to put patient and staff safety first, including for the graduates.

They'll still be paid for the week.

Health New Zealand says the strike will result in a delay to more than 10-thousand procedures and appointments.