The majority of the public support nurses going on strike over pay, a poll has found.
Hundreds of thousands of nursing staff are preparing to take part in walkouts before Christmas.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will hold two days of strikes on December 15 and 20.
More than twice as many people back the industrial action than are opposed, polling shows.
A survey, conducted for the Mirror by Redfield and Wilton, found 54% support nurses striking over their demand for a pay rise of 5% above inflation, with only 23% against.
Even amongst Tory voters there is considerable backing with 39% in favour of the walkouts and 35% opposed.
Most people (52%) believe the Government does have the money to increase the salaries of workers across the public sector, the poll found. Less than a third (31%) disagreed.
Ministers have been threatening to introduce tough new anti-strike laws, but when asked how the Government should seek to avoid walkouts in public services, only 33% said by curbing the powers of unions. In comparison, 46% said they believed ministers should meet their demands for higher pay.
The survey also revealed support for railway workers walking out unless they get pay rises in line with inflation. Almost half (49%) backed the rail strikes with 22% against.
It comes as Labour accuses ministers of risking patient safety by refusing to even discuss pay with health workers.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting claimed there had not been a "single moment of negotiation" from the Government in an attempt to avert NHS strikes.
He said he understands why people have voted for industrial action as they feel "their backs are against the wall".
"There hasn't been a single minute of negotiation from the Government with the unions," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The Labour frontbencher said he assumed this was because ministers are counting on the public to "turn against the unions and back the Government", branding this a "reckless" strategy.
Mr Streeting said he could not "in all honestly" pledge to deliver nurses' pay demands if he was the health secretary, but stressed he would be "prepared to negotiate".
"I don't think there is any rational explanation as to why the Government (wouldn't) negotiate, except... perhaps that briefing to the newspapers that the Government is quite happy to see industrial action taking place - they assume the public will turn against the unions and back the Government. I assume that's their strategy," he added.
Nurses are demanding pay awards of 5% above the inflation as cost of living pressures spiral. The Retail Price Index currently stands at 14.2%.
The Government's offer would raise basic annual pay from about £35,600 to £37,000 from March 2022 - a rise of just 4%.
Nursing representatives have offered to hold talks with Health Secretary Steve Barclay in an attempt to avoid the action - but he has ruled out negotiations on pay.
Patients could have non-urgent treatment disrupted with thousands of NHS operations and appointments likely to be cancelled if the strikes go ahead. Emergency care will not be affected.
Nearly a million NHS workers are being balloted for industrial action this winter, including midwives, ambulance crews and physiotherapists.
Redfield and Wilton interviewed 1,500 adults in Britain online on November 30.
