Nurses went on a 24 strike yesterday, the first such nationwide walk-out in 30 years.
Dr Clark today said it was now "time for a pause and reflection'' before district health boards and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation resumed talks.
However, Dr Clark said the Government had been clear that there would be no more money for nurses salary packages, and that remained the case.
Extra money had been made available earlier in negotiations but "our ability to do that has come to an end,'' Dr Clark said.
"Each side has to go away and reflect on the ERA (Employment Relations Authority) recommendations and then come back to the table,'' Dr Clark said.
ERA-led Facilitation talks between the NZNO and DHBs broke down earlier this week, paving the way for nurses to strike - industrial action which ended at 7am today.
The talks were an "operational issue'' between DHBs and nurses and the Government was taking a keen interest, Dr Clark said.
"It has been an incredibly demanding period for all parties, who have been working incredibly hard to ensure we have safe staffing, both before and during the strike.''
While nurses have been pressing for better pay, they have also been insistent that staffing levels needed to be addressed.
While not being specific, Dr Clark said other measures were being taken to address safe staffing issues.
Dr Clark thanks all parties for ensuring yesterday's strike went off with as little disruption to urgent hospital services as possible.
The Southern District Health Board reported no serious issues due to the strike.
Staff members had "gone the extra mile'', and family of patients in hospital had also provided additional support, SDHB chief executive Chris Fleming said.
"We have been seeing fewer than usual presentations in our emergency departments but are slightly busier than expected in areas of critical care, including ICU and the high dependency unit at Dunedin Hospital and critical care unit at Southland Hospital.''
Dunedin NZNO organiser Lorraine Lobb said members had been out in force yesterday, supported by the public.
"Some have been here all day and will probably stay all day, while others have come when they could ... a lot of these people are due back tomorrow and they will have a busy day.''
Dunedin registered theatre nurse Craig Christensen said he went on strike because nurses were not being listened to.
"We thought, after rejecting the first pay offer, it was a bit of a kick in the teeth for the next offer to be worse for probably 70% of the nurses," he said.
"They have put more money in to extra staffing, but the number of extra nurses that we need is considerably more than what they have budgeted for ... 500 just isn't enough.''
DHBs spokeswoman Helen Mason said the organisations were considering recommendations made by the co-ordinator of facilitation talks between themselves and the NZNO, and would contact the union to discuss what to do next.
NZNO has said it is prepared to continue talks, but has not ruled out further industrial action.
